• There are over 100,000 species of molds. • About three dozen cause health problems in humans. • We have known for a long time about the health effects of molds. History of Molds • Molds are mentioned in Leviticus in the Bible (Chapter 14) • Molds were used by the Spartans in their war against Athens in 430 B.C. • There were 65 mold epidemics worldwide between 1591 and 1889 • 1920’s: Fatal kidney disease caused by mold in Denmark and the Balkans • 1930’s: Stachybotrycosis:30% of horses in Russi