Chicago mold spore count reported near ‘dangerous’ level

The Gottlieb Allergy Count for mold spores neared the threshold for a “dangerous” air quality alert in Chicago earlier this week, according to a press release.

“The extreme humidity coupled with hot temperatures and rain have created a soupy environment that is causing serious distress for those with mold allergies and asthma,” Joseph Leija, MD, an allergist who performs the Gottlieb Allergy Count, the official count of the Midwest, said in the release. “It’s like having a hot, wet towel over your face all the time for many with sensitive systems. Difficulty breathing, itchy throat, coughing and fatigue is what Chicagoans feel today and possibly for the rest of the week.”

Joseph Leija

Monday’s count was 45,000, with a 50,000 threshold considered dangerous, the release said. The allergy count included: trees, low; mold, high; grass, low; and weeds, low. The mold count was the highest since the season began in March.

People with sensitive systems should avoid the outdoors when the threshold is so high, Leija said, recommending they “stay inside, run the air conditioning and, above all, take [their] medication.”

Leija created the Gottlieb Allergy Count with the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology more than 2 decades ago, according to the release. He collects samples at the Gottlieb Memorial Hospital campus each morning in a pollen-catching machine that records air particles every 2 minutes during a 24-hour period. An algorithm is used to determine the official allergy count.

“People with respiratory conditions need to know the allergy count early in the morning so they can take the right medication and make adjustments to improve their health,” Leija said.