CDC study finds deadly mold infections striking more patients than realized, killing one in three hospitalized

• A new CDC study found invasive mold disease strikes hospitalized patients far more often than known, with about 450 confirmed cases in Atlanta-area hospitals from 2020 to 2024 and roughly one in three patients dying before discharge.
• Hospitals can expect three to five cases per 100 inpatient beds annually, with higher rates at large academic centers, mostly affecting immunocompromised patients or those recovering from severe COVID-19.
• The threat is likely to grow due to extreme weather events like hurricanes and flooding, as well as an aging population, according to CDC’s Dr. Jeremy Gold.
• The disease occurs when mold spores enter via inhalation, open wounds, or contaminated equipment, and while healthy people recover, it can be fatal for cancer patients, transplant recipients, and older adults.
• Because doctors are not required to report invasive mold disease, federal tracking remains thin, leaving families to discover mold risks on their own and seek specialized care.

New federal research reveals that a little-known but often deadly mold infection strikes hospitalized patients far more frequently than doctors previously realized, with roughly one in three diagnosed patients dying before discharge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the first-of-its-kind study this week, identifying about 450 confirmed cases of invasive mold disease across four Atlanta-area hospitals and affiliated clinics between 2020 and 2024. Researchers reviewed nearly 1,000 potential cases before confirming the final number, offering what experts call the clearest picture yet of a disease that remains largely untracked nationwide because doctors are not required to report it to public health officials.

Study reveals alarming death rates

The findings, led by the CDC’s Dr. Jeremy Gold, show that hospitals can expect to see three to five cases of invasive mold disease each year for every 100 inpatient beds, with the highest rates showing up at larger academic medical centers, which tend to treat the sickest patients. Most of those infected had weakened immune systems, while others were left vulnerable after recovering from severe COVID-19.

“It’s kind of the first time we’ve had an estimate like this,” Gold said. He warned that the threat could grow as extreme weather events like hurricanes and flooding increase — conditions that expose people to dangerous mold — and as the nation’s population ages.

About one-third of the patients in the study died while hospitalized, underscoring the severity of the infection, which occurs when mold spores enter the body through inhalation, open wounds, or contaminated medical equipment. While healthy individuals typically fight off exposure, the disease can turn life-threatening for cancer patients, transplant recipients and older adults.

The CDC has estimated in the past that invasive mold disease is tied to more than 15,000 U.S. hospitalizations a year. The new research did not pinpoint where patients were exposed to the mold, but the data gives hospitals a benchmark for recognizing typical case numbers versus a possible outbreak.

A family’s ordeal exposes gaps in mold awareness

For families like that of 19-year-old Elaina Faler of Mandeville, Louisiana, the findings hit close to home. After four years of fatigue, brain fog, fevers and digestive issues that doctors repeatedly dismissed, her father discovered mold growing inside an air vent in their home. Her family says the mold triggered mast cell activation syndrome, an autoimmune condition, and Elaina has since pursued treatment through an integrative medicine specialist in Florida.

Government agencies have been slow to require reporting on invasive mold disease, leaving hospitals and families largely on their own to piece together the risks. As the Faler family’s experience shows, catching the problem often falls to homeowners themselves — inspecting vents, addressing leaks and moisture promptly, and seeking out physicians willing to consider environmental causes rather than defaulting to a psychiatric or vague diagnosis. With federal tracking this thin, vigilance at home may be the most reliable defense available for now.

Sources for this article include:

The-Independent.com

APNews.com

WDSU.com