Chaetomium Mold: The Hidden Danger After Water Damage

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Most homeowners know to worry about mold after a flood or leak—but they may not realize that some of the most destructive types of mold grow behind the scenes, inside walls or under carpets. One of the most commonly overlooked yet serious molds in water-damaged properties is Chaetomium (pronounced key-TOE-mee-um).

If your home or business has suffered a roof leak, plumbing failure, or flooding, you need to know about this mold—and why it’s a red flag for more than just allergies.

What Is Chaetomium Mold?

Chaetomium is a cellulose-loving mold commonly found in buildings that have suffered water damage. It thrives on materials like drywall, wallpaper, carpets, wood, and insulation—basically anything organic that stays damp for too long.

Unlike many molds that grow in visible patches, Chaetomium often hides inside walls or under floors, growing undetected until serious damage occurs.

Where Does Chaetomium Grow?

Chaetomium needs high moisture and cellulose to grow. It’s commonly found in:

  • Drywall after roof or pipe leaks
  • Carpet padding and subflooring
  • Basement walls and foundation leaks
  • Behind wallpaper or paneling
  • Attics and crawlspaces with poor ventilation

Its presence often indicates prolonged moisture exposure—and sometimes deeper structural issues.

Health Risks Associated with Chaetomium

While Chaetomium isn’t as notorious as Stachybotrys (black mold), it can still cause a range of health issues, especially in people with:

  • Asthma or respiratory sensitivity
  • Weakened immune systems
  • Allergies or chronic sinus infections

Exposure to Chaetomium spores may lead to:

  • Persistent coughing or sneezing
  • Skin and eye irritation
  • Headaches or fatigue
  • Neurological symptoms in severe or long-term cases

In rare situations, certain species of Chaetomium have been associated with opportunistic infections in immunocompromised individuals.

Why Chaetomium Indicates Bigger Problems

One of the biggest concerns with Chaetomium is that its presence often means there’s been significant, ongoing water damage. By the time it’s detected, building materials may already be compromised.

It’s also commonly found alongside other toxic molds like Stachybotrys and Aspergillus, which makes accurate identification and complete remediation critical.

How to Detect and Remove Chaetomium Mold

Chaetomium is difficult to identify without laboratory testing. That’s why professional mold inspection is the safest first step after water damage.

At MSI, we conduct:

  • Air and surface mold testing to identify the type and severity of mold
  • Moisture mapping to find the source of dampness
  • Containment and HEPA air filtration to prevent cross-contamination
  • Safe removal of affected materials followed by antimicrobial treatment

Because of its hidden nature and aggressive growth, Chaetomium cleanup should never be DIY.

Water Damage? Don’t Wait for Chaetomium to Appear

If your property has experienced flooding, leaks, or high humidity, don’t assume the problem is gone just because surfaces look dry. Hidden mold can begin growing within 24–48 hours of water exposure.

The sooner it’s identified, the easier and safer the cleanup process will be.

Schedule a Mold Inspection with MSI Today

At MSI, we’ve been inspecting and remediating mold since 1998. Our certified team has seen thousands of water-damaged buildings and knows exactly what to look for—even the mold you can’t see.

Call us at 877-712-1600 to schedule a professional mold inspection and protect your home, health, and investment.

What is Fusarium?

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Fusarium species are ubiquitous and may be found in the soil, air and on plants. Fusarium species can cause mycotoxicosis in humans following ingestion of food that has been colonized by the fungal organism. In humans, Fusarium species can also cause disease that is localized, focally invasive or disseminated. The pathogen generally affects immunocompromised individuals with infection of immunocompetent persons being rarely reported. Localized infection includes septic arthritis, endophthalmitis, osteomyelitis, cystitis and brain abscess. In these situations relatively good response may be expected following appropriate surgery and oral antifungal therapy. Disseminated infection occurs when two or more noncontiguous sites are involved. Over eighty cases have been reported, many of which had a hematologic malignancy including neutropenia. The species most commonly involved include Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum, and Fusarium moniliforme (also termed F. verticillioides). The diagnosis of Fusarium infection may be made on histopathology, gram stain, mycology, blood culture, or serology. Portals of entry of disseminated infection include the respiratory tract, the gastrointestinal tract, and cutaneous sites.

The skin can be an important and an early clue to diagnosis since cutaneous lesions may be observed at an early stage of the disease and in about seventy-five cases of disseminated Fusarium infection. Typical skin lesions may be painful red or violaceous nodules, the center of which often becomes ulcerated and covered by a black eschar. The multiple necrotizing lesions are often observed on the trunk and the extremities. Onychomycosis most commonly due to F. oxysporum or F. solani has been reported. The onychomycosis may be of several types: distal and lateral subungual (DLSO), white superficial (WSO), and proximal subungual (PSO). In proximal subungual onychomycosis there may be associated leukonychia and/or periungual inflammation. Patients with Fusarium onychomycosis have been cured following therapy with itraconazole, terbinafine, ciclopirox olamine lacquer, or topical antifungal agent. In other instances nail avulsion plus antifungal therapy has been successful. In patients with hematologic malignancy or bone marrow transplant, who may experience prolonged or severe neutropenia during the course of therapy, the skin and nails should be carefully examined and consideration given to treating potential infection sites that may serve as portals for systemic dissemination. When disseminated Fusarium infection is present therapy with antifungal agents has generally been disappointing with the chances of a successful resolution being enhanced if the neutropenia can be corrected in a timely manner.

What is Myxomycetes?

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A little known mold which does show up on many mold testing reports is Myxomycetes. This mold is often skipped over by many inspectors not only because they can’tpronounce it, (Mixo-My-Cee-Tees), but also because they don’t know what it is and howit got there. Myxomycetes have an interesting life cycle which includes a wet spore phase and a dry spore phase. When conditions are favorable, they move about like amoebae, resembling primitive animals. When conditions are not favorable they form a resting body (sclerotium) with dry, airborne spores. Myxomycetes are noconsidered to be true fungi.

Health Effects

Myxomycetes are a type 1 allergen and can cause hay fever like symptoms and trigger asthma. Type I hypersensitivity is also known as an immediate reaction and involves immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated release of antibodies against the soluble antigen. This results in mast cell degranulation and release of histamine and other inflammatory mediators. 

Type I hypersensitivities include atopic diseases, which are an exaggerated IgE mediated immune responses (i.e., allergic: asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and dermatitis), and allergic diseases, which are immune responses to foreign allergens (i.e., anaphylaxis, urticaria, angioedema, food, and drug allergies). The allergens that result in a type I hypersensitivity may be harmless (i.e., pollen, mites, or foods, drugs, etc.) or more hazardous such as insect venoms. The reaction may be manifested in different areas of the body and may result in instances such as:

  • Nasal allergic rhinitis or hay fever
  • Ocular allergic conjunctivitis, potentially due to seasonal allergens such as pollen or mold spores
  • Dermatological hives, atopic eczema, or erythema
  • Soft tissue angioedema
  • Pulmonary reactions, such as allergic asthma or hypoxiaSystemic reaction, which is a life-threatening medical emergency, and also known as anaphylaxis.

Mold Solutions & Inspections is a full service mold testing and remediation company providing an unmatched level of service since 1998. If you think your home or business has been affected by mold, or are in need of mold testing, call our office or visit our main page for more information.