Bioaerosol Lung Damage in a Worker with Repeated Exposure to Fungi in a Water-Damaged Building (abstract)

[Guest guest]

(This is the research by NIOSH of Jim Crane and his fellow employees. You

might remember that exposure at the Best Western where he worked was

the feature article in Business Week - " My Office is Killing Me " by

Conlin

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109p641-644trout/abstract.html

Grand Rounds

Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 109, Number 6, June 2001

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Bioaerosol Lung Damage in a Worker with Repeated Exposure to Fungi in a

Water-Damaged Building

Trout,1 Bernstein,2 ez,1 Biagini,3

and Wallingford1

1Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluation and Field Studies, National

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

2Division of Immunology, Allergy Section, University of Cincinnati College

of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

3Division of Applied Research and Technology, National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

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Abstract

There has been increased concern over health effects related to potential

exposure of building occupants to bioaerosols. We report the case of a

worker with a respiratory illness related to bioaerosol exposure in a

water-damaged building with extensive fungal contamination. We performed

environmental tests to evaluate potential exposure to fungi, and we used

mycotoxin-specific IgG antibody in serologic studies in the attempt to

evaluate exposure to mycotoxins. Extensive fungal contamination was

documented in many areas of the building. Penicillium, Aspergillus, and

Stachybotrys species were the most predominant fungi found in air sampling.

Our serologic test was not useful in differentiating workers who were

probably occupationally exposed to mycotoxins from those who were not;

however, it did yield evidence that individuals may make specific IgG

antibodies to macrocyclic tricothecene mycotoxins. Further research is

needed concerning health effects related to bioaerosol exposures,

particularly regarding markers of exposure to specific fungi that may

produce mycotoxins. In the absence of clinical tools specific for evaluation

of mycotoxin-related illness, a systematic clinical approach for evaluating

persons with suspected building-related respiratory illness is warranted.

Key words: bioaerosol, building-related illness, fungi, hypersensitivity

pneumonitis, mycotoxin, Stachybotrys, water damage. Environ Health Perspect

109:641-644 (2001). [Online 15 June 2001]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109p641-644trout/abstract.html

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Address correspondence to D. Trout, NIOSH, 676 Columbia Parkway, R-10,

Cincinnati, OH 45226 USA. Telephone: (513) 841-4558. Fax (513) 458-7105.

E-mail: DTrout@...

We thank W. Rath for assistance in the clinical evaluation.