Fortunately, Stachybotrys isn't found in homes as often as milder molds such as Cladosporium, Penicillium and Alternaria . Those are common, especially in damp states such as Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Oregon. Yet even they can cause health problems, including chronic sinus and respiratory infections and asthma. A 1999 Mayo Clinic study pegged nearly all the chronic sinus infections afflicting 37 million Americans to molds. Recent studies also have linked molds to the tripling of the asthma rate over the past 20 years.
Water is the key.
Without it, molds can't get started, much less spread. But when water is left to sit for even 24 hours, common molds can take hold. If water continues to sit and areas become completely saturated, that's when a more lethal mold, such as Stachybotrys , can move in. And four years ago in Cleveland, Stachybotrys growth from unrepaired storm damage was suspected of causing pulmonary hemorrhage in 14 children, killing two. Families can go for months, even years, without knowing where their symptoms are coming from.