Stachybotrys chartarum

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Stachybotrys chartarum

Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Deuteromycota
Order:	Moniliales
Family:	Dematiaceae
Genus:	Stachybotrys
Species:	S. chartarum

Binomial name

Stachybotrys chartarum
(Ehrenberg) Hughes

Synonyms

Stachybotrys atra Corda
Stachybotrys alternans
Stilbospora chartarum Ehrenberg

Stachybotrys chartarum (obsolete: Stachybotrys alternans and Stachybotrys atra) is a greenish-black mold that is commonly found outdoors and sometimes found in damp or flooded homes. It was originally described from the wall of a house in Prague in 1837 by Czech mycologist August Carl Joseph Corda. It requires constant moisture in order to grow.

Health problems related to this mold have been documented in humans and animals since the 1930s (and it is even considered a likely candidate for the Biblical condition mistranslated as "leprosy", tzaraath). More recently, S. chartarum has been linked with so-called sick building syndrome. However, the link has not been firmly established in the scientific literature.

Two cats died under anesthesia in what is believed to be the first documented case of black mold poisoning in pets. The cats had been living in Florida in a water damaged home. During routine dental procedures both cats experienced severe pulmonary hemorrhage and later died. Blood tests confirmed the presence of a toxin produced by S. chartarum, and severe mold contamination was found in the home.^[1]

[edit] References

Nelson, D. Stachybotrys chartarum: the toxic indoor mold. APSnet. American Phytological Society. Retrieved on 19 September 2005.
Questions and Answers on Stachybotrys chartarum and other molds. Air Pollution & Respiratory Health. National Center for Environmental Health. Retrieved on 19 September 2005.
Synonym and Classification Data for Stachybotrys spp.. Doctor Fungus. Retrieved on 19 September 2005.