Mold Hysteria: Origin of the Hoax

Abstract

The topic of building related illness came into the public's eye as a major health issue in the mid 1970s, when several cases of pneumonia were found to be associated with an infectious agent in Philadelphia. This agent was subsequently found to be a gram-positive bacterium known as Legionella pneumoniae. During the ensuing 30 years, a myriad of symptom constellations, disorders, clinical syndromes and illnesses have been attributed to indoor living or working environments. Over time, there appeared to be no limit to claims of building related illness, and it was "reported" that almost any kind of clinical symptom, real or imaginary, could be blamed on indoor environments. As society became more and more litigious, many of these disorders were erroneously played out in courtrooms rather than medical offices, creating a circus atmosphere surrounding this class of disorders. With the advent of the internet, as well as other advances in telecommunications, these issues eventually became part of a media frenzy, and all truths could be thrown out the window as issues became more and more decided upon by emotions and unfounded beliefs, rather than scientific data and logical thinking.

Patients referred to an indoor air health clinic: exposure to water-damaged buildings causes an increase of lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage and a decrease of CD19 leucocytes in peripheral blood

“…The pathophysiology behind these conditions is also poorly understood. There is still substantial controversy over whether this type of exposure will cause health problems [1][2][3][4].…”

Indoor fungal composition is geographically patterned and more diverse in temperate zones than in the tropics

“…Examples of well-known fungi include a few human pathogens (2), allergens (3), agents of structural rot (4,5), and food spoilers (6,7). Indoor fungi's prominent role in successful litigation around the world contributes to rising costs for various industries and insurance companies (8,9). Increasingly strict standards for indoor sanitation have resulted in regulatory agencies and private industries seeking to quantify building health.…”

Mold and Human Health: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff

“…This study concluded that a majority of the symptoms were possibly due to allergic reactions to mold in the environment and proposed the possibility of somatization and secondary gain (either emotional or financial). Most importantly, no evidence has demonstrated that mycotoxins produced by Stachybotrys or another mold are responsible for the diverse and often poorly defined symptoms attributed to "toxic mold syndrome" [69,70]. The etiology of SBS is more likely psychosocial in origin, as extensively discussed elsewhere [69,80].…”

“…Several potential causative agents were proposed, including bacterial, fungal, and viral organisms; electrostatic fields; lighting; vibration; and tobacco smoke, yet adequate ventilation does seem to prove beneficial to symptoms [72], but no etiology has ever been demonstrated. In the following decades, likely because there was no obvious cause of SBS, ubiquitous mold became a candidate [69], and the public and media focused on one particular visible mold as a potential cause, Stachybotrys chartarum (also known as Stachybotrys atra and Stachybotrys alternan). Stachybotrys is a greenish-black saprophytic fungus that exists worldwide and is able to produce several mycotoxins ( Table 4).…”

“…The term sick building syndrome (SBS) was coined to define these syndromes [69][70][71] and has now been utilized for about 25 years, mostly in groups of office workers [69,71]. SBS symptoms (Table 3) are commonly numerous and poorly defined, including upper and lower respiratory (nasal congestion and drainage, sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, and wheezing), ocular (pruritic and watery eyes), neurological (lack of concentration, memory loss, and headache), and constitutional (fatigue, malaise and arthalgias) complaints [69]. Several potential causative agents were proposed, including bacterial, fungal, and viral organisms; electrostatic fields; lighting; vibration; and tobacco smoke, yet adequate ventilation does seem to prove beneficial to symptoms [72], but no etiology has ever been demonstrated.…”