The human lung is constantly exposed to spores of the environmental mould Aspergillus fumigatus, a major opportunistic pathogen. The spectrum of resultant disease is the outcome of complex host-pathogen interactions, an integrated, quantitative understanding of which lies beyond the ethical and technical reach permitted by animal studies. Here we construct a mathematical model of spore inhalati...

BACKGROUND The hurricanes and flooding in New Orleans, Louisiana, in October and November 2005 resulted in damp conditions favorable to the dispersion of bioaerosols such as mold spores and endotoxin. OBJECTIVE Our objective in this study was to assess potential human exposure to bioaerosols in New Orleans after the flooding of the city. METHODS A team of investigators performed continuous ...

The presence of endophytic fungal mycelia within healthy tissue is most commonly detected by long incubation of small pieces of surface-sterilized healthy tissue on agar plates and the emergence of their mycelia or spores. Thus, to understand their biology and distribution within the host, it is mandatory to use histological tools to locate the endophytic mycelia as well as spores in vivo withi...

OBJECTIVE We have studied cross-shift respiratory responses of several individual bioaerosol components of the dust in the grain and feed industry in Norway. METHODS Cross-shift changes in lung function and nasal congestion, as well as in respiratory and systemic symptoms of 56 exposed workers and 36 referents, were recorded on the same day as full-shift exposure to the inhalable aerosol frac...

BACKGROUND The presence of visible mold in households is associated with asthma. However, the role of "classroom fungus" in the development of childhood asthma, as well as the fungal species that may lead to asthma, remains controversial. This nationwide school survey was conducted to investigate the correlation between fungal spores in classrooms and asthma in schoolchildren. METHODS From Ap...

Primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) may play an important role in aerosol–climate interactions, in particular by affecting ice formation in mixed phase clouds. However, the role of PBAPs is poorly understood because the sources and distribution of PBAPs in the atmosphere are not well quantified. Here we include emissions of fungal spores and bacteria in a global aerosol microphysics mo...

This paper discusses the influence of primary biological aerosols (PBA) on atmospheric chemistry and vice versa through microbiological and chemical properties and processes. Several studies have shown that PBA represent a significant fraction of air particulate matter and hence affect the microstructure and water uptake of aerosol particles. Moreover, airborne micro-organisms, namely fungal sp...

Respiratory epithelia fulfil multiple roles beyond that of gaseous exchange, also acting as primary custodians of lung sterility and inflammatory homeostasis. Inhaled fungal spores pose a continual antigenic, and potentially pathogenic, challenge to lung integrity against which the human respiratory mucosa has developed various tolerance and defence strategies. However, respiratory disease and ...

Fungi are essential components of ecosystems and widely distributed in nature. Fungal spores may be easily dispersed into indoor environments, and if conditions are suitable, some fungal spores may germinate and grow indoors. Mold, a common term for certain filamentous fungi, is fast growing and capable of producing hundreds of thousands of spores in a short period. Mold spores germinate and ra...

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), 22.4% of Puerto Ricans suffer from asthma and that percentage increases to 25.3% in children between the ages of 5 and 14. In the case of allergic asthma, asthma, attacks are commonly caused by pollen and fungal spores in outdoor air. These particles can trigger a reaction in the immune system that controls how the body defends itself. This pap...