Health Effects, Pathology, Epidemiology

Effects after Mold Exposure — Which are the Causative Agents?

Ragnar Rylander, M.D. e-mail: ragnar.rylander@envmed.gu.se

This presentation reviews the most well known specific agents in molds and their relation to the different effects caused by exposure to molds. It is emphasized that field studies in principle only describe relationships and that such relationships not always support conclusions regarding causality for individual agents. At present, the general strategy to prevent the mold-related diseases airways inflammation, increased risk for infections, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and neurological disorders must therefore be to remove the mold contamination, viable as well as dead organisms.