Urgent warning about the health risks of ‘hidden’ household mold as humans are hit by a deadly fungal lung disease

A 32-year-old man has developed a life-threatening blood infection caused by mold in the home after living in a mold-infected property where the spores were ‘covered’ in paint.

Matthew Langsworth, from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, has noticed black mold in the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom for ten years at his landlord’s home, but he claims it has been ‘redecorated’.

Now he has developed a condition that leaves him so out of breath he can ‘barely walk’ and last year caused a collapsed lung that resulted in fatal sepsis.

The condition, called iInvasive aspergillosis can be caused by inhaling fungal spores that then spread from the lungs to the blood and other parts of the body.

Tests have reportedly confirmed that Mr Langsworth’s infection has also spread to his intestines.

Although doctors have reportedly confirmed that mold exposure is the cause of Langsworth’s health problems, he said he is faced with the choice between ‘dying or being homeless’ – as the flat, which is subsidized by the council, is being ‘demolished’ by officials’ considered fit to live’. .

Social housing provider Stonewater claimed they had replaced ‘his entire bathroom and kitchen’ after a leak in 2023 and recently installed new flooring.

They said an investigation this month found mold on the shower curtain, bathroom sink waste overflow and in the washing machine powder drawer.

They also discovered that the extractor fan in the bathroom was not working, but claim this was not previously reported to them.

“My life has just been ruined physically, mentally and financially by this ordeal,” Mr Langsworth said.

‘Before all this happened, I led a very active life. I was at the gym two to three times a week.

‘At the weekend I took walks of six to seven kilometers. Now I can’t even walk to the store without having to stop.

‘I would describe it as the worst experience of my life. I would describe it as hell on earth.

“I first noticed it in 2013 and they made a series of works that clearly didn’t eradicate it. I have had constant intestinal problems and skin conditions.

‘I have now been told by a doctor that everything I have experienced in the past ten years is all related to fungi.’

Mr. Langsworth identified alarming mold spots around the pipes in the kitchen, throughout the bathroom, in the master bedroom and in the hallways.

“My master bedroom has stains on every wall,” he said.

‘At the moment, about 75 percent of the buildings have mold.

“The landlord’s position is ‘we’re going to clean this up and it’s not a big problem.’

In August 2023, he left his apartment for three months while work on leaks and black mold was completed.

But within two weeks of returning, his lung collapsed due to pneumonia, leaving him in hospital for five days.

Within three hours of being discharged, he suffered fatal septic shock – an extreme immune system response to an infection – and was rushed to hospital for a week.

“The doctors wiped the tears from my eyes because I thought I was going to die,” he said.

‘The doctor told me my body was doing its best to fight it and then decided it couldn’t take it anymore.

“The fungus has attacked my body.”

He added: “They (the council) have declared the property fit for habitation, which means I am not eligible for rehousing. When I leave the building, I deliberately make myself homeless. So (my choice is) die or become homeless.

‘It wasn’t until April this year that the landlord agreed to carry out further work on the property, despite what had happened.

‘Luckily I have a friend who lets me stay at her house for three months to prevent me from becoming seriously ill again.

“She hears my breathing getting really bad when I walk up and down the stairs.

‘I get really out of breath, I sweat and end up throwing up.’

He added: ‘I want to ask the council: ‘Would you live there with your children knowing this was happening to someone?’ I already know the answer would be no. It’s unforgivable.’

Living in moldy homes is known to cause a range of health problems, including respiratory infections such as aspergillus, asthma and allergies.

Mold – a microscopic fungus – causes these conditions by releasing thousands of microscopic toxic particles into the atmosphere.

Signs that you may be suffering from household mold include prolonged coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath.

Other symptoms include worsening of asthma and other respiratory conditions or conditions in which the airways are inflamed.

Government figures show that in 2019 in England, around 5,000 cases of asthma and around 8,500 lower respiratory tract infections among children and adults were linked to damp and mold in households.

It is thought that between one and two percent of new cases of hay fever each year are caused by damp and mold.

In December 2020, two-year-old Awaab Ishak died after prolonged exposure to mold in his Rochdale home.

He lived with his father and stepmother in a one-bedroom apartment.

The family reported the mold problem to the housing association that provided the flat – Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) – three years before the boy’s death, but were advised to ‘paint over’ it.

In June 2020, Awaab’s father sued the landlords with a legal claim over the recurring mold, but repairs had to wait until the case was resolved.#

Awaab was taken to Rochdale Urgent Care Center on December 19 that year with shortness of breath and died a few days later.

A spokesperson for Stonewater said: ‘We have worked incredibly hard since Mr Langsford first reported a small leak in his home in 2023 to ensure the water damage that occurred has been fully repaired. This work included completely replacing his kitchen and bathroom and more recently installing new flooring.

‘Mr Langsford remains concerned that his home is being affected by damp and mold and that this is affecting his health. We did not visit the flat until December 2, 2024 to carry out further damp and mold surveys.

‘The surveyor found no structural defects in Mr Langford’s home, but mold was present.

‘We will of course continue to work with Mr Langsford to carry out any further repairs that may be required and continue to provide further assurance that his home is free of damp and mould.’