Dad Blames Dorm Mold for Daughter's Death From Adenovirus - Article Health

Did mold in a University of Maryland dorm contribute to the death of freshman Olivia Paregol last week? Paregol died from complications of adenovirus, a common virus spread through close personal contact. After his daughter's death, her father said that mold in her dorm room may have played a role.

"It didn't help the illness," Ian Paregol said, according to CBS Baltimore. "I think that's a really fair statement. We don't know that there's causation, yet, but it didn't help things." Though the university has confirmed at least six other cases of adenovirus, school officials haven’t verified that the mold was directly responsible for the virus, according to CBS News.

Mold sets off allergy symptoms
“Mold spores are small enough so that you can inhale them deep into your lung,” says Dr. Rizzo. Though not everyone reacts to the presence of mold in their airways, if you’re sensitive to it, your immune system may kick in, triggering a nasty attack of hay fever–like symptoms such as nasal congestion, red eyes, or itchy eyes and skin, notes the CDC.

Mold makes you cough
Even if you don’t have allergies or another respiratory issue, mold can still irritate lungs and cause a cough, says Dr. Rizzo. “Wheezing and cough may be the first sign of an allergy or that you’ve been exposed to a significant enough amount of mold that it’s compromising your airways,” he says.

Mold can lead to a respiratory illness
People with a weakened immune system are especially susceptible to the ill effects of mold exposure. (Paregol said that this was the case for his daughter, who had Crohn’s disease.) It’s possible, though, that mold inhalation can lead to airway inflammation, which then may leave a vulnerable individual susceptible to another infection.

Mold can cause a lung infection
Another potential mold-borne problem for someone with a compromised immune system? “Mold can get a foothold in your lung and put you at a higher risk of developing a lung infection,” says Dr. Rizzo. One such infection caused by mold is aspergillosis. Mild cases trigger allergy-like symptoms; however, an invasive form can spread to other parts of the body, such as the brain, heart, and kidneys, and it can be fatal, says the Mayo Clinic.

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