The effects of highly toxic and nontoxic spores of Stachybotrys atra were investigated in mice after six intranasal administrations of 1 x 10(5) and 1 x 10(3) spores in phosphate-buffered saline during a 3-week period. Toxic spores contained the trichothecene mycotoxins, satratoxins G and H, as well as the immunosuppressant stachybotrylactones and -lactams. No trichothecenes were detected in th...

The Bi-Air (BA) dual-trace 25 mm filter cassette was described, and its performance for the collection of Aspergillus/Penicillium (Asp/Pen) and Stachybotrys type spores in a clam-air settling chamber was compared to that of the Air-O-Cell (AOC) cassette. The BA produced duplicate sample traces, the sample traces were confined to two small, welldefined areas on the filter, and the small size of ...

The inhalation exposure to Stachybotrys chartarum (SC) has been playing a critical role in public health domain due to its ability to produce toxins (trichothecene and other mycotoxins), that are implicated in the cases of acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhages (AIPH) in infants. Despite multiple studies reporting an association of exposure to airborne mold with negative human health effects su...

OBJECTIVE To examine the role of fungi in the production of sick building syndrome. METHODS A 22 month study in the United States of 48 schools (in which there had been concerns about health and indoor air quality (IAQ). Building indoor air and surface samples, as well as outdoor air samples were taken at all sites to look for the presence of fungi or their viable propagules. RESULTS Five f...

The authors present an outbreak of disease associated with exposure to Stachybotrys chartarum and Aspergillus species. A courthouse and two associated office buildings had generated discomfort among employees for two years since initial occupancy. Multiple interventions had been unsuccessful An initial evaluation of 14 individuals identified three with potential asthma and three with symptoms c...

Highly respirable particles (diameter, <1 microm) constitute the majority of particulate matter found in indoor air. It is hypothesized that these particles serve as carriers for toxic compounds, specifically the compounds produced by molds in water-damaged buildings. The presence of airborne Stachybotrys chartarum trichothecene mycotoxins on particles smaller than conidia (e.g., fungal fragmen...

A total of 17 strains of Stachybotrys atra isolated in Hungary and Czechoslovakia were cultured on Sabouraud agar, and the toxins produced by them were chemically analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography, high-pressure liquid chromatography, and mass spectroscopy. Furthermore, brine shrimp (Artemia salina) bioassay was used for the determination of toxicity of the compounds examined. Macrocyclic t...