Mold and mildew are common contaminants in basements and crawl spaces under houses. The hot and humid weather of summer is especially conducive to mold and mildew growth. A new study from Boston indicates that these fungi can boost the risk of asthma symptoms, especially among people with a genetic susceptibility. Investigators with the Childhood Asthma Management Program measured the amount of mold spores in the children's homes at the outset of the study. Children whose homes were contaminated with more than 25,000 mold colonies per gram of household dust had more severe attacks if they also had certain variants of a gene that breaks down chitin, a compound found in fungi.
[American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, online, June 21, 2010]
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