Sensitivity tests to Alternaria and
Cladosporium spp and implications of these
allergies for respiratory illness have not been well
characterized. There is evidence of a specific
relation with airway responsiveness in children
sensitized to Cladosporium spp. Association
between Alternaria spp spore concentrations and
airway responsiveness can be attributed to fungal
exposure. The frequency of sensitization to
Alternaria or Cladosporium spp, or both, was a
strong risk factor for severe asthma in adults
(Mitakakis, 2001; Knutsen, 2011).