Stachybotrys mycotoxicosis in Germany

[Guest guest]

This is a very interesting case report. The full text in German is also

available as a PDF file on the provided link.

Does anyone here know German and can help with the translation? I would really

really like to have this study translated into English. Please contact me off

the group: arealis (at) gmail com.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/h77737g807422152/

Stachybotrys-Toxine in einer Münchner Wohnung mit Wasserschaden

Journal Mycotoxin Research

Publisher Springer Berlin / Heidelberg

ISSN 0178-7888 (Print) 1867-1632 (Online)

Issue Volume 17, Supplement 2 / June, 2001

DOI 10.1007/BF03036443

Pages 234-237

Subject Collection Biomedical and Life Sciences

SpringerLink Date Friday, April 03, 2009

Usleber E 1 Contact Information, Dietrich R 2, Schneider E 1 und Märtlbauer E 2

(1) Institut für Tierärztliche Nahrungsmittelkunde, Justus-Liebig-Universität,

Ludwigstrasse 21, D-35390 Gießen

(2) Lehrstuhl für Hygiene und Technologie der Milch,

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Veterinärstr. 13, D-80539 München

Abstract

This paper presents a case report of indoor Stachybotrys toxins in Germany. In

the summer of 2000, heavy rainfall and a leakage of the gutter system of an

appartement house in Munich, Germany, caused a severe water damage in one of the

appartments. The appartment was at that time occupied by two of the authors (ES,

EU). A wall (covered with wallpaper) in one room in particular was most strongly

affected, about 6–8 m2 of the wallpaper became very wet. Large parts of this wet

wallpaper were within days infested by multiple circumscribed round, grey-black

colonies (0.5–5 cm in diameter) of presumtive Stachybotrys spp.. At the same

time, the air in this room became very damp and oppressive. Several persons

reported burning sensations on the mucous membranes of the eye, nose, and

larynx, followed by headache symptoms, as soon as a few minutes after they had

entered this room. Inadvertent skin contact with one of the fungal colonies by

one person resulted in burning sensations immediately, but symptoms disappeared

after thorough rinsing of the skin with water. The infested room was evacuated,

and samples were taken from the wet wallpaper at areas (1) in the center of the

most heavy fungal colony growth, (2) several cm away from colony growth, and (3)

from locations which were wet but about 1 m away from visible colony growth. The

samples were extracted with methanol, the extract diluted with buffer solution

and analysed by competitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for roridin A. Due to

cross-reactivity, this EIA detects several macrocyclic trichothecenes produced

by Stachybotrys spp.. Heavily infected pieces of wallpaper were strongly

contaminated with toxins, with maximum concentrations of 1.1 microgram per cm2

(Roridin A equivalents). Wet but visibly not infected samples of wallpaper were

negative in the EIA. Considering a EIA cross-reactivity of satratoxin H (the

major Stachybotrys-toxin) of 15%, the actual maximum toxin concentration would

correspond to 6 microgram of satratoxin H per cm2. As far as we know, this is

the first documented case of indoor Stachybotrys toxins in Germany. The toxin

concentration by far exceeds the minimum toxin level required for skin toxicity,

and was considered as unhealthy. Health authorities in Munich were informed but

were unable to provide assistance, probably because awareness of the importance

and the possible health risks caused by indoor mycotoxins is not yet widespread

in Germany. Reporting and monitoring programs for mycotoxins in water-damaged

buildings seem to be necessary to provide insight into the occurrence of similar

cases as the one described here.