Study suggests the threat of mold-associated illnesses may be underappreciated
NEW YORK (AP) — A first-of-its-kind study in the United States suggests that invasive mold infections may be an underappreciated and potentially deadly threat.
Researchers identified nearly 450 cases in Atlanta-area hospitals over five years. About one-third of patients died in hospital.
findings, published this week These measurements by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention come from an attempt to better measure how common such diseases are. The government does not require doctors to report illnesses.
The study’s senior author, CDC’s Dr. “This is the first time we’ve made such a prediction,” said Jeremy Gold.
And he added that it’s important to understand this now because the problem could grow in the future. Researchers found that mold exposure is a recurring problem following hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters impacted by climate change.
Infectious diseases researcher Dr. from Duke University. “I agree that the frequency of fungal infections will likely increase with climate change,” said Jeffrey Jenks.
Meanwhile, the elderly population, which is more susceptible to such diseases, is increasing, Gold said.
Invasive mold diseases are rare infections caused by certain species. Most people who become infected inhale mold spores, but they can also enter the body through cuts, wounds, or contaminated medical equipment.
Spores do not cause health problems for most people, but they can be life-threatening for some, including the elderly, cancer patients and others with weakened immune systems.
Previously the CDC researchers predicted More than 15,000 hospitalizations per year can be attributed to invasive mold disease.
To better understand how widespread cases may be locally, the research team worked with four Atlanta-area hospitals and their affiliated outpatient clinics to look for potential cases from 2020 to 2024.
They initially identified about 1,000 potential cases, but reduced the number to about 450 by eliminating patients who might show signs of exposure but did not qualify as invasive mold disease.
Researchers found that hospitals can expect to see 3 to 5 cases per year for every 100 inpatient beds. Rates were higher at large academic hospitals, which tend to see more complex diseases.
Many patients had weakened immune systems or, in some cases, weakened after falling ill with Covid-19.
Gold said mold exposure may occur in hospitals or other healthcare facilities, but the study did not attempt to determine where each patient was first exposed.
He said it’s difficult to generalize what’s been seen in the Atlanta area to other parts of the country where mold may be more or less of a problem. Gold added that this should give hospital administrators at least a rough idea of whether the number of cases they’re seeing is at the expected level or whether this is an outbreak.
Jenks called the study’s findings “valuable” but said it “would be helpful to see the results of similar studies conducted in different parts of the United States.”
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