Mold spores are everywhere, and most are harmless. Some are even beneficial, such as those used to create Roquefort cheese and penicillin. They're protected by a tough, waterproof wall made of chitin, which allows mold to survive for thousands of years, even in unfavorable conditions. Prolonged exposure to toxic molds in a closed area, such as a mummy burial chamber, can cause serious problems. They can irritate, infect and ultimately damage the eyes, skin, lungs, mucous membranes, respiratory tract, stomach and intestines.
Experts think it unlikely.
They did, however, recognize the power of the written word. In fact, Egyptians believed that if you wrote a statement, drew a picture or spoke something aloud, those things would come true. Lisa Schwappach, curator of the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in California, says tomb curses became a handy deterrent for enemies of the deceased who wished to literally erase the individual and all his chances of entering akh, the glorified, heavenly state of being. Tombs also are easy pickings for thieves because they contain valuables. Threats on walls sought to deter robbers from stealing these objects.