Hemolysis, toxicity, and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis of Stachybotrys chartarum strains

Sixteen strains of the indoor air, toxigenic fungus Stachybotrys chartarum isolated from case or control homes in Cleveland, OH, and 12 non-Cleveland strains from diverse geographic locations were examined for hemolytic activity, conidial toxicity and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA banding patterns. Only three of the 28 strains studied were both consistently hemolytic and produced highly toxic conidia. Each of these strains was isolated from a house in Cleveland, OH, where an infant had idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage.