Environmental Health Center

EnvironMinute Health Scripts

You know that mold and fungus can make an allergic person miserable. But did you know a certain mold can actually kill you? Find out about this fatal fungus on today's EnvironMinute. [:11]

Ten infants in Ohio have died over the past four years from the effects of a deadly mold called Strachybotrys atra. The mold only grows on cellulose materials, like acoustic ceiling tiles and gypsum board. Flooded homes and houses with leaky roofs or plumbing problems are perfect for this shiny black mold. A toxin in the mold can cause bleeding in your lungs and nose, a chronic cough, congestion, and anemia. Infants and young children are most susceptible. If you find a shiny black mold on cellulose in your house, contact your local health department. It's best to get a professional to remove it. [:37]

The EnvironMinute is produced in cooperation with the National Safety Council and made possible by the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation. [:10]

Finger Lakes Productions, Inc.