Stachybotrys chartarum
Encyclopedia
Stachybotrys chartarum, also called Stachybotrys atra, Stachybotrys alternans or Stilbospora chartarum, is a black mold
that produces its conidia
in slime heads. It is sometimes found in soil and grain, but mostly isolated from cellulose
-rich building materials in damp or water-damaged buildings. S. chartarum was originally described from the wall of a house in Prague in 1837 by Czech mycologist August Carl Joseph Corda
. It requires high moisture content in order to grow and is associated with wet gypsum material and wallpaper.
. More recently, S. chartarum has been linked with so-called sick building syndrome
. However, the link has not been firmly established in the scientific literature.
There are two chemotypes in S. chartarum, one that produce trichothecene
mycotoxin
s including satratoxins and one that produce atranones.
Two cats died under anesthesia
in what is believed to be the first documented case of black mold poisoning in pets. The cats had been living in Florida in a water damaged home. During routine dental procedures both cats experienced severe pulmonary hemorrhage
and later died. Blood tests confirmed the presence of a toxin produced by S. chartarum, and severe mold contamination was found in the home.
Mold
Molds are fungi that grow in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae. Molds are not considered to be microbes but microscopic fungi that grow as single cells called yeasts...
that produces its conidia
Conidium
Conidia, sometimes termed conidiospores, are asexual, non-motile spores of a fungus and are named after the greek word for dust, konia. They are also called mitospores due to the way they are generated through the cellular process of mitosis...
in slime heads. It is sometimes found in soil and grain, but mostly isolated from cellulose
Cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β linked D-glucose units....
-rich building materials in damp or water-damaged buildings. S. chartarum was originally described from the wall of a house in Prague in 1837 by Czech mycologist August Carl Joseph Corda
August Carl Joseph Corda
August Carl Joseph Corda was a Czech physician and mycologist.-Early life and education:Corda was born in Reichenberg , Bohemia on November 15, 1809. Corda's father was a textile seller...
. It requires high moisture content in order to grow and is associated with wet gypsum material and wallpaper.
Medical and veterinary issues
Health problems related to this mold have been documented in humans and animals since the 1930s; it is also considered a likely candidate for the Biblical condition mistranslated as "leprosy", tzaraathTzaraath
The Hebrew noun tzaraath describes a disfigurative condition mainly referred to in chapters 13-14 of Leviticus, as well as conditions equivalent to be "mildew" on clothes and houses.Tzaraath affects both animate...
. More recently, S. chartarum has been linked with so-called sick building syndrome
Sick building syndrome
Sick building syndrome is a combination of ailments associated with an individual's place of work or residence. A 1984 World Health Organization report into the syndrome suggested up to 30% of new and remodeled buildings worldwide may be linked to symptoms of SBS...
. However, the link has not been firmly established in the scientific literature.
There are two chemotypes in S. chartarum, one that produce trichothecene
Trichothecene
Trichothecenes are a very large family of chemically related mycotoxins produced by various species of Fusarium, Myrothecium, Trichoderma, Trichothecium, Cephalosporium, Verticimonosporium, and Stachybotrys...
mycotoxin
Mycotoxin
A mycotoxin is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by organisms of the fungus kingdom, commonly known as molds. The term ‘mycotoxin’ is usually reserved for the toxic chemical products produced by fungi that readily colonize crops...
s including satratoxins and one that produce atranones.
Two cats died under anesthesia
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
in what is believed to be the first documented case of black mold poisoning in pets. The cats had been living in Florida in a water damaged home. During routine dental procedures both cats experienced severe pulmonary hemorrhage
Pulmonary hemorrhage
Pulmonary hemorrhage is an acute bleeding from the lung, especially in the upper respiratory tract and the endotracheal tube. When evident clinically, the condition is usually massive, associated with bleeding in other sites as well as more than one third of the lungs...
and later died. Blood tests confirmed the presence of a toxin produced by S. chartarum, and severe mold contamination was found in the home.
Detection
Four distinctive Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (MVOCs), 1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-2-butanol, and thujopsene, were detected on rice cultures, and only one (1-butanol) was detected on gypsum board cultures.See also
- BioaerosolBioaerosolA bioaerosol is a suspension of airborne particles that contain living organisms or were released from living organisms. These particles are very small and range in size from less than one micrometer to one hundred micrometers . Bioaerosols react to air currents and move quickly or slowly...
- Indoor air qualityIndoor air qualityIndoor air quality is a term referring to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants....
- Mold growth, assessment, and remediationMold growth, assessment, and remediationMold assessment and mold remediation are techniques used in occupational health: mold assessment is the process of identifying the location and extent of the mold hazard in a structure, and mold remediation is the process of removal and/or cleanup of mold from an indoor environment.-Health...
- Mold health issues
- Sick Building SyndromeSick building syndromeSick building syndrome is a combination of ailments associated with an individual's place of work or residence. A 1984 World Health Organization report into the syndrome suggested up to 30% of new and remodeled buildings worldwide may be linked to symptoms of SBS...