Fungal Levels in the Home and Lower Respiratory Tract Illnesses in the First Year of Life

Details

• Personal Author:
  Burge HA ; Gold DR ; Milton DK ; Ryan LM ; Stark PC
• Description:
  The association between home dampness and lower respiratory symptoms in children has been well documented. Whether fungal exposures contribute to this association is uncertain. In a prospective birth cohort of 499 children of parents with asthma/allergies, we examined in-home fungal concentrations as predictors of lower respiratory illnesses (LRI) (croup, pneumonia, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis) in the first year. In multivariate analyses, we found a significant increased relative risk (RR) between LRI and high levels (more than the 90th percentile) of airborne Penicillium (RR = 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23, 2.43), dust-borne Cladosporium (RR = 1.52; CI, 1.02, 2.25), Zygomycetes (RR = 1.96; CI, 1.35, 2.83), and Alternaria (RR = 1.51; CI, 1.00, 2.28), after controlling for sex, presence of water damage or visible mold/mildew, born in winter, breastfeeding, and being exposed to other children through siblings. In a multivariate analysis, the RR of LRI was elevated in households with any fungal level at more than the 90th percentile (RR = 1.86; CI, 1.21, 2.88). Exposure to high fungal levels increased the risk of LRI in infancy, even for infants with nonwheezing LRI. Actual mechanisms remain unknown, but fungi and their components (glucans, mycotoxins, and proteins) may increase the risk of LRI by acting as irritants or through increasing susceptibility to infection. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Asthma Asthma, Occupational Dust Environmental Exposure Fungi Hypersensitivity Men Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Women

  More +
• Keywords:
  Airborne Dusts Airborne Particulates Allergies Author Keywords: Fungi Bronchial Asthma Bronchiolitis Bronchitis Children Environmental Exposure Etiology Exposure Levels Fungal Diseases Humans Infants Molds Pneumonia Public Health Respiratory System Disorders Respiratory Tract Infections Risk Factors

  More +
• ISSN:
  1073-449X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  232-237
• Volume:
  168
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20059525
• Citation:
  Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2003 Jul; 168(2):232-237
• Contact Point Address:
  Diane R. Gold, M.D., M.P.H., Channing Laboratory, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
• Email:
  diane.gold@channing.harvard.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2003
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of ublic Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20030701
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
• End Date:
  20050630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7f0c92d6828469e9b38c8cf6185c344406013ee897fcbaf2dd0434a50f70bd42d814ef4cc449c92667eb3270fc1248e79cba20fd354750898c61dfacea28ac60
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/223722/cdc_223722_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 68.75 KB ]