Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
systems installed in hospital wards for
A. fumigatus
and other organisms
provide no protection against
Candida
.
B. Allergenic and immunologic illness
Allergenic and immunological illnesses caused by exposure to fungal aller-
gens include allergic rhinitis, allergic sinusitis, allergic bronchiopulmonary
mycosis, asthma, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
1. Allergic rhinitis
Over 60 species of fungi are known to cause chronic allergic symptoms in
humans. These include genera in each of the major fungal divisions (
Table
from 10 to 80 daltons. They are located in cell walls, membranes, and
cytoplasm. Some are extracellular enzymes. Single fungal species may pro-
duce dozens of allergens. Allergens produced depend on individual strains
of the fungal species and their age, as well as the substrate on which the
organism grows. The prevalence of mold allergy in humans has not been
well-defined. Though it has been estimated that up to 30% of individuals
with chronic allergic rhinitis are immunologically sensitive to mold, actual
results from skin reactivity tests indicate the prevalence of mold sensitivity
is approximately 4%. Low skin reactivity results may be an artifact of the
limited variety of mold genera, species, and serotypes that are included in
mold extracts used for allergy testing. These extracts are not standardized
and vary in composition and potency. Consequently, skin test results
Table 6.5
Selected Fungal Groups that Cause
Allergenic Illness
Zygomycetes
Deuteromycetes
Deuteromycetes
(cont.)
Rhizopus
Acremonium
Paecilomyces
Mucor
Alternaria
Penicillium
Absidia
Aspergillus
Phoma
Myxomycetes
Aureobasidium
Sporotrichium
Filago
Botrytis
Stemphylium
Stemonitis
Candida
Torula
Cephalosporium
Trichoderma
Ascomycetes
Cladosporium
Chaetomium
Curvularia
Basidiomycetes
Claviceps
Dresclera
Agaricus
Erisyphe
Epicoccum
Boletus
Eurotium
Fusarium
Coprinus
Microsphaera
Gliocladium
Polyporus
Helminthosporium
Puccinia
Monilia
Tilletia
Nigrospora
Ustilago
