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Indoor airborne fungi and wheeze in the first year of life among a cohort of infants at risk for asthma

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 20, pages 503–515 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

In studies worldwide, respiratory outcomes such as cough, wheeze and asthma have been consistently linked to mold exposure. Young children spend most of their time indoors and may be particularly vulnerable. We evaluated the associations between exposure to airborne fungal levels and episodes of wheezing in a cohort of 103 infants at risk for asthma (due to maternal history of asthma), living primarily in low-income urban settings. Using a new protocol that facilitates identification of rare and slow-growing fungi, we measured the type and concentration of cultured fungi in home air samples taken early in the infant's first year of life. We also inspected the homes for visible mold, water damage and other housing and environmental conditions. All homes had measurable indoor airborne fungi and 73%, had some sign of mold, water damage, dampness or a musty odor. One or more episodes of wheeze during the first year of life were observed in 38% of infants. Multiple logistic regression showed high indoor levels of Penicillium were a significant risk factor for wheeze (OR 6.18; 95% CI: 1.34–28.46) in the first year of life after controlling for season of sampling, smoking, endotoxin levels, day care attendance and confounders. Acrodontium, a rarely reported fungal genus, was detected in 18% of study homes, and was associated with wheeze in unadjusted models (OR 2.75; 95% CI 0.99–7.61), but not after adjustment for confounders. Total fungal levels, visually observed mold, dampness, water damage or musty odors were not significantly associated with wheeze.

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate the numerous contributions of the field team, Paula De Stefano, Christopher Garback and Melanie Lamoy and the original biostatistician on the project, Deepa Naishadham. Many thanks to the participating families. Funding was provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, Grant no. GR828605-01-0. Additional funding was from the Department of Pathology, SUNY Upstate Medical University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA

    Paula F Rosenbaum

  2. Graduate Program in Environmental Science, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, USA

    Judith A Crawford

  3. Construction Management and Wood Products Engineering, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, USA

    Susan E Anagnost

  4. Environmental and Forest Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, USA

    C J K Wang

  5. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA

    Andrew Hunt

  6. Department of Pediatrics, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA

    Ran D Anbar

  7. Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA

    Teresa M Hargrave

  8. Department of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA

    E Geralyn Hall

  9. Department of Pathology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA

    Chien-Chih Liu & Jerrold L Abraham

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  1. Paula F Rosenbaum
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Correspondence to Paula F Rosenbaum.

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Rosenbaum, P., Crawford, J., Anagnost, S. et al. Indoor airborne fungi and wheeze in the first year of life among a cohort of infants at risk for asthma. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 20, 503–515 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2009.27

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