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21 October 2005
A Toxic Cocktail In Every Bedroom 
English researchers have discovered an incredibly rich source of fungal spores right under our noses - in our pillows. The most common species they found was Aspergillus fumigatus, which can trigger the condition Aspergillosis in people with compromised immune systems. It can also worsen asthma in adults. Interestingly, the research, appearing in the journal Allergy, is the first fungal analysis of bedding done in over seventy years. Apparently it doesn't matter whether your pillow is feather or synthetic, there will still be spores in it. Each pillow the researchers examined was found to contain a substantial fungal load, with four to 16 different species being identified per sample and even higher numbers found in synthetic pillows. Aspergillus fumigatus was particularly evident in synthetic pillows, and fungi as diverse as bread and vine moulds and those usually found on damp walls and in showers were also found. "We know that pillows are inhabited by the house dust mite which eats fungi, and one theory is that the fungi are in turn using the house dust mites' feces as a major source of nitrogen and nutrition (along with human skin). There could therefore be a 'miniature ecosystem' at work inside our pillows," mused lead researcher Ashley Woodcock, from the University of Manchester. The most common fungus found, Aspergillus, is carried in the air as well as being found in cellars, household plant pots, compost, computers and ground pepper and spices. Invasive Aspergillosis, which can cause pneumonia, occurs mainly in the lungs and sinuses, although it can spread to other organs such as the brain. It is very difficult to treat and can cause fatal problems in people with suppressed immune systems. It can also worsen asthma, particularly in adults who may have had asthma for many years, and cause allergic sinusitis in patients with allergic tendencies. "Since patients spend a third of their life sleeping and breathing close to a potentially large and varied source of fungi, these findings certainly have important implications for patients with respiratory disease - especially asthma and sinusitis," said Woodcock. "These new findings are potentially of major significance to people with allergic diseases of the lungs and damaged immune systems - especially those being sent home from hospital," added Dr Geoffrey Scott, Chairman of the Fungal Research Trust. Source: University of Manchester
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