A rare case of aspergillosis reported after compost exposure
This page summarises a 2008 news report about one unusual case. It is not evidence that ordinary gardening or compost use commonly causes aspergillosis.
In 2008, The Guardian reported the death of a man after he inhaled fungal spores while opening bags of garden compost. The case was presented as an unusual example of severe aspergillosis associated with compost exposure.
Aspergillus is common in the environment, including in soil and compost. Aspergillosis is rare in healthy people, and most people who breathe in the mould do not become ill. People with certain lung conditions or weakened immune systems may be more at risk.
The report is a reminder that serious illness can happen, but it should not cause unnecessary alarm. For current advice about gardening and compost, see our guide to gardening safely with aspergillosis.
Original report: Jo Adetunji, “Man dies after inhaling fungal spores from garden compost,” The Guardian, 13 June 2008.
A patient describes his life with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis
Woodrow M shares his personal experience of aspergillosis. Like many people, he had not heard of the condition before he was diagnosed and treated at the National Aspergillosis Centre in Manchester.
RW: living with CPA and long-term antifungal treatment
RW shares his experience of living with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) and receiving antifungal treatment over many years. His story includes changes in treatment and periods when his condition worsened after treatment stopped.
RW’s interview describes his own treatment history and is not current treatment advice. Treatment decisions depend on each person’s circumstances. Please speak with your healthcare team before making any changes to your medicines.
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MD: living with CPA, aspergilloma and antifungal resistance
MD shares her experience of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) and an aspergilloma. Her interview describes a difficult diagnostic journey, coughing up blood, and changes in treatment after drug resistance was identified.
MD’s interview describes her own experience and treatment at that time. It is not current treatment advice, and individual care varies. Please speak with your healthcare team about your diagnosis or medicines.
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Patient with ABPA: an experience of coughing up mucus plugs
This patient shares her experience of living with possible allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), including episodes of severe coughing and bringing up large mucus plugs.
This interview describes one person’s experience and treatment at that time. It is not medical advice or a guide to current treatment. Please speak with your healthcare team about your own symptoms and care.
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HM: living with asthma and ABPA
HM shares her experience of living with childhood asthma and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). In this interview, she describes changes in her condition and her personal experience of treatment during that period.
HM’s interview describes her own experience and treatment at that time. It is not current treatment advice. Treatments and equipment may not be suitable for everyone; speak with your healthcare team about your individual care.
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DW: living with childhood asthma and ABPA
DW shares their experience of childhood asthma and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), including persistent chest infections and changes in treatment over time.
This interview describes DW’s own experience and treatment at that time. It is not current treatment advice. Medicines can affect people differently; speak with your healthcare team about your individual care.
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JW: living with ABPA and antifungal treatment
JW shares his experience of childhood asthma and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), including trying different antifungal medicines over time.
JW’s interview describes his own experience and treatment at that time. It is not current treatment advice. Medicines affect people differently; speak with your healthcare team about your individual care.
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Catherine: surviving invasive aspergillosis after a kidney transplant
After a kidney transplant, Catherine developed severe invasive aspergillosis. In this video interview, she shares her experience of the illness and its treatment.
Catherine’s interview describes her own experience and treatment at that time. Invasive aspergillosis and its treatment vary between people. Please speak with your healthcare team about your individual care.
We thank Catherine for sharing her experience and Pfizer for supporting the production of this video.
Jim A: living with ABPA
In this account, Jim A describes his experience of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), from his first episodes of coughing up mucus plugs in the late 1980s to learning to manage recurring symptoms and speak up about his care.
Jim’s account reflects his own experience over several decades. Diagnosis and treatment have changed, and each person’s situation is different. Please speak with your healthcare team about your own symptoms and care.
Jim’s story
In the late 1980s, I developed a lung problem that just would not go away. Every other day or so, I would feel an irritating flutter in my lungs when I breathed. I would cough hard, trying to bring up small plugs. After a couple of months, I persuaded my primary care doctor to refer me to a specialist, because the problem was not going away.
I took some of the plugs with me. The lung specialist recognised the pattern and diagnosed ABPA. I remember being warned that my coughing might get worse for a while. It did, and what I brought up was unpleasant. Then the symptoms settled, and I felt relieved.
Several years later, the problem returned. I was seeing a different healthcare team. I had repeated chest X-rays because the shadows seemed to move, but nobody could explain what was happening. I became frustrated and insisted on seeing a specialist. The specialist was not familiar with ABPA, but agreed to consider the diagnosis and my previous experience. My symptoms improved again.
Some years later, I found a doctor who understood my condition and arranged regular monitoring. Since then, my symptoms have come and gone. At times they have settled without treatment; at other times, I have needed help. For me, they have often seemed to return in the autumn.
Living with ABPA has meant learning to describe what happens to me and to ask questions when I feel my concerns are not being heard. I keep my reliever inhaler available when my chest feels tight. My experience with inhaled steroids has not been helpful, but I know other people’s experiences and treatment needs may be different.
I used to turn compost in my garden and wondered whether that was connected to my symptoms. I cannot know what caused my ABPA. I have changed some of my gardening habits, but this is my personal choice and not proof that compost caused my condition.
My symptoms are an occasional nuisance, and I know others live with more severe forms of aspergillosis. I feel fortunate that my experience has been different. I am grateful to have found doctors who understand ABPA and to have learned how to take part in decisions about my care.