December 9, 1994, Black Tuesday for American property owners. That was the day the US Centers for Disease Control published their now admittedly erroneous finding that a ubiquitous mold, the "Black Mold" stachybotrys atra, was responsible for the deaths of several children in Cleveland. Though the CDC has subsequently admitted numerous scientific and procedural errors in the publication of their initial report and that available data do not support a causal role for stachybotrys species in pulmonary bleeding in children, the myth of the "black mold" was born and persists to this day. It has spawned the "toxic mold" cottage industry of litigation, alternative healthcare practitioners and household mold remediation businesses, all making a living on the ruination of property owners and their managers.

Atopic individuals, those with a genetic predisposition to allergies and asthma, may become sensitized to molds and become symptomatic when exposed to them. But these individuals do not progress on to new, previously undiagnosed illnesses and no evidence exists to support the notion that previously healthy persons become seriously ill in the presence of universally encountered fungi. Yet claims of asthma, pneumonia, skin rashes, sinus infection, "leaky gut syndrome", multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome and depression, among others, have all been blamed on indoor mold exposure.

(The above, as well as any opinions expressed on this subject will, of course, be grounded in facts as presented in the most up-to-date, peer-reviewed, published medical literature and not on pre-judging any particular scenario which presents itself.)

Claims of "toxic mold" related illness generally cross many different medical specialty boundaries making it difficult to find the right expert for you. Cases often raise issues of microbiology, immunology, dermatology, gastroenterology and pulmonary medicine. Pathology is a medical specialty based on the application of laboratory methods to the clinical practice of all areas of medicine, not just a single organ system. A pathologist is thus uniquely suited to the challenges presented by claims of multiple organ system involvement by exposure to microorganisms.

Dr. Hugh Wilson is a Board Certified Pathologist. In nearly 30 years of training and practice he has examined tens of thousands of specimens of nose, sinuses, lungs, skin and gastrointestinal tract, among others, for mold and fungus in both immune competent and immunocompromised patients. He has reviewed multiple specimens and medical records in mold related illness legal cases. He is available to assist you in defending against illegitimate claims of indoor mold related illness.