Korean J Med Mycol.  1998 Dec;3(2):73-80.

Fungi in Indoor Environment

• Lee HJ

Abstract

The characters of modern buildings such as higher airtightness, frequent usage of artificial materials and artificial air conditionings provide suitable conditions for flourishing of microorganisms, especially fungi. Indoor fungi could produce unacceptable musty smells and cause structural damage of building. But the more serious effects are the threatening on human health. They could provoke several allergic diseases, sick building syndrome, organic dust toxic syndrome, and could be the important causative agents of infectious diseases in the immunocompromized host. This paper review the characters, physiology, epidemiology and isolation techniques of the indoor fungi to provide the basic ideas to control the indoor fungi.

Keyword

Fungi; Indoor environment; Immunocompromized host

MeSH Terms

Air Conditioning
Communicable Diseases
Dust
Epidemiology
Fungi*
Humans
Physiology
Sick Building Syndrome
Smell
Dust