Mold Trivia Quiz Questions With Answers

Mold Trivia Questions With Answers about mold, spores and more!

Mold Trivia Quiz Questions With Answers

People who already suffer from allergies, asthma, or compromised immune systems and occupy damp or moldy buildings are what?
A: At an increased risk of health problems such as inflammatory and toxic responses to mold spores, metabolites and other components.

What is the most common health problem associated with mold?
A: An allergic reaction

What are other problems associated with mold?
A: Respiratory and/or immune system responses.

Severe reactions are rare but what?
A: Possible.

A person's reaction to mold depends on what?
A: Sensitivity and other health conditions, the amount of mold present length of exposure and the type of mold or mold products.

Some molds also produce mycotoxins that can pose serious health risks to whom?
A: Humans and animals.

The term "toxic mold" refers to what?
A: Molds that produce mycotoxins, such as Stachybotrys chartarum, not to all molds.

Exposure to high levels of mycotoxins can lead to what?
A: Neurological problems and in some cases death.

Prolonged exposure, e.g., daily workplace exposure, can be what?
A: Particularly harmful.

What are the five most common genera of indoor molds?
A: Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Alternaria and Trichoderma.

Damp environments which allow mold to grow can also produce what?
A: Bacteria and help release volatile organic compounds.

Infants may develop what type of symptoms as a result of exposure to a specific type of fungal mold, called Penicillium?
A: Respiratory symptoms.

What are the signs that an infant may have mold-related respiratory problems?
A: A persistent cough and/or wheeze.

Increased exposure increases the probability of what?
A: Developing respiratory symptoms during their first year of life.

Studies have shown that a correlation exists between the probability of developing asthma and what?
A: An increased exposure to Penicillium.

Exposure to mold can cause a number of health issues such as what?
A: Throat irritation, nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, cough and wheezing, and skin irritation.

People at higher risk for mold allergies are people with what type of illness?
A: Chronic lung illnesses.

Residents of homes with mold are at an elevated risk for what?
A: Both respiratory infections and bronchitis.

When mold spores are inhaled by an immunocompromised individual, some mold spores may what?
A: Begin to grow on living tissue.

Mold spores can attach to what?
A: Cells along the respiratory tract.

Mold may produce “what”, either before or after exposure to humans, potentially causing toxicity?
A: Mycotoxins.

A serious health threat from mold exposure for immunocompromised individuals is what?
A: Systemic fungal infection (systemic mycosis).

What are the most common mold infections?
A: Sinuses and digestive tract infections.

Dermatophytes are the parasitic fungi that cause what?
A: Skin infections such as athlete's foot and tinea cruris.

Most dermataphyte fungi take the form of a what?
A: A mold, as opposed to a yeast, with appearance (when cultured) that is similar to other molds.

The most common form of hypersensitivity is caused by what?
A: The direct exposure to inhaled mold spores that can be dead or alive or hyphal fragments.

The most common effects of inhalation are what?
A: Rhinorrhea (runny nose), watery eyes, coughing and asthma attacks.

Another form of hypersensitivity is what?
A: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Where can exposure can occur?
A: At home, at work or in other settings.

It is predicted that about what percentage of people have some airway symptoms due to allergic reactions to molds in their lifetimes?
A: 5%.

Over 47 species of mold have been identified in what item found on beds?
A: Pillows.

Mycotoxin is a cancer-causing poison produced by certain fungi on foods and feeds, especially what?
A: Field corn and peanuts.

A number of common microfungi are important agents of post-harvest what?
A: Spoilage.

According to the World Health Organization, roughly what percentage of the world's food may be contaminated by mycotoxins?
A: 25%

Prevention of mold exposure from food is generally to do what?
A: Consume food that has no mold growths on it.

It is especially useful to clean the inside of the what?
A: Refrigerator, and to ensure dishcloths, towels, sponges and mops are clean.

In the 1930s, mold was identified as the cause behind what?
A: The mysterious deaths of farm animals in Russia and other countries.

What was found growing on wet grain used for animal feed?
A: Stachybotrys chartarum.

Death also occurred in humans when starving peasants ate large quantities of what?
A: Rotten food grains and cereals that were heavily overgrown with the Stachybotrys mold.

Today, the US Food and Drug Administration and the agriculture industry closely monitor mold and mycotoxin levels in what?
A: Grains and foodstuffs.

In 2005 a USA pet food manufacturer, experienced a significant rise in the number of corn shipments containing elevated levels of what?
A: Aflatoxin.

This mold toxin eventually made it into what?
A: The pet food supply.

Dozens of dogs and cats died before the company was forced to do what?
A: Recall affected products.