Stachybotrys chartarum (S. chartarum) is a black mold that produces asexual spores. S. chartarum is the usual perpetrator involved in water/moisture/wet-damaged building illnesses. Invasion can occur via direct contact through the skin, or inhalation. Skin contact may result in dermatitis. Pulmonary exposure can result in rhinitis, cough, sore throat and chest tightness. Stachybotrys can release potent mycotoxins, which, if ingested, may contribute to systemic inflammation and disease pathogenesis.
Trichothecene mycotoxins can cause the following:
Vascular system: increased vascular fragility (blood vessels), pulmonary hemorrhage or hemorrhage into bodytissues.
Nervous system: tremors, headaches, seizures, sleep disturbance, incoordination, and depression. It can also cause demyelination of nerves leading to Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP).
Digestive system: vomiting, diarrhea, liver toxicity, intestinal hemorrhage, and anorexia. It is a cause of intestinal permeability.
Cutaneous (skin) system: rash, photosensitization, sloughing of skin, burning sensation.
Endocrine system: decrease in testosterone in men and women; increase in estrogens in men and women.
Stachybotrys Toxin (Trichothecene) - IgE
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