Inhalation of fungal spores may induce a wide range of allergic diseases: rhinitis, dermatitis, allergic bronchitis, asthma, allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis, and even hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Asexual fungal spores are among the most numerous and diversified airborne microoorganisms that we breathe. Filamentous fungi are disseminating their spores in the air by thousands and, in temperate zones, hundreds of species are continuously invading our environment. Few surveys are carried out to define the airborne fungal flora in indoor spaces. Results are often incomplete and should require further investigation. As a matter of fact, a lot of mould species grow only on specific media and, depending on the temperature of incubation, the results will be completely biased by the selection. Moreover, sedimentation sampling methods are still currently used too often (contact plates left open); they only give a restricted overview of the mycoflora since numerous species do not grow in these conditions. Furthermore, many researchers do not identify moulds up to species level. And as far as allergy is concerned, specificity is the key element when making a diagnosis. How many allergenic species are there?

• fungi: health effects
• fungi: indoor biocontamination -- health symptom

1. Indoor moulds: a public health problem in Belgium: overview of 15 years' experience