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Indoor Fungal Exposure and Allergic Respiratory Disease

Nicholas J Osborne1,2, Christopher R Thornton3, Richard A Sharpe4

  • 1Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Research Group, Discipline of Pharmacology, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. nicholas.osborne@sydney.edu.au.

Current Allergy and Asthma Reports
|October 24, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Indoor fungi are linked to allergic respiratory diseases. Improved exposure measurement and case definitions may strengthen evidence for public health interventions and understanding disease prevalence increases.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Allergology
  • Mycology

Background:

  • Growing evidence links indoor fungi exposure to allergic respiratory diseases.
  • Challenges in accurately measuring exposure and disease outcomes complicate understanding.
  • The multifactorial nature of these diseases and potential confounders add complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the association between indoor fungi and allergic respiratory diseases.
  • To highlight the impact of new technologies on exposure assessment.
  • To discuss implications for public health and future research.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on studies investigating indoor fungi and respiratory allergies.
  • Analysis of challenges in current exposure and outcome measurement.
  • Consideration of emerging technological advancements in environmental monitoring.

Main Results:

  • Consistent associations found between indoor fungal exposure and allergic respiratory disease initiation, promotion, and exacerbation.
  • Difficulties in measurement and confounding factors present significant research hurdles.
  • New technologies offer potential for improved accuracy in exposure assessment.

Conclusions:

  • Enhanced measurement techniques and refined case definitions are crucial for validating fungal exposure-disease links.
  • Stronger evidence will inform public health strategies and generate new hypotheses.
  • Further research is needed to understand the rising prevalence of allergic respiratory diseases.
Keywords:
Allergic respiratory diseaseAllergyAsthmaEnvironment and allergyEpidemiologyFungiIndoor fungal exposure

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