Physical and Biological Hazards of the Workplace, 3rd Edition

Chapter 24FUNGI

Craig S. Glazer and Cecile S. Rose

A variety of fungi are associated with occupational illnesses (see Tables 24.1, 24.2, and 24.3 on page 426.)

TABLE 24.1 Common fungi associated with hypersensitivity diseases.

Fungus	Exposure	Syndrome
Alternaria spp.	Wood pulp	Wood pulp worker’s lung, mold allergy, asthma
Aspergillus spp.	Moldy hay
Water	Farmer’s lung
Aspergillus fumigatus	General environment	Ventilation pneumonitis
Aspergillus clavatus	Barley	Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
Aureobasidium pullulans	Water
Cladosporium spp.	Hot tub mists	Malt worker’s lung
General environment	Humidifier lung
Cryptostroma corticale	Wood bark	Hot tub HP
Graphium, Aureobasidium pullulans	Wood dust	Mold allergy, asthma
Merulius lacrymans	Rotten wood	Maple bark stripper’s lung
Penicillium spp.	Fuel chips, sawmills, tree cutting	Sequoiosis
		Dry rot lung
Shiitake mushroom manufacturing, humidifier water	Hypersensitivity pneumonitis, asthma
Penicillium frequentans	Cork dust	Suberosis
Penicillium casei, Penicillium roqueforti	Cheese	Cheese washer’s lung
Rhizopus, Mucor	Damp basements	Asthma, mold allergy
Trichosporon cutaneum	Damp wood and mats	Japanese summer-type HP

TABLE 24.2 Common toxigenic fungi.

Toxin	Fungal Source	Occupational Exposure
Aflatoxin	Aspergillus flavus	Farmers
	Aspergillus parasiticus	Peanut handlers
Fumitoxin	Aspergillus fumigatus	Compost workers
Satratoxin	Stachybotrys chartarum	Maintenance ...