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HHS Hosts a Mold Roundtable: What Was Announced, What Experts Said, and What the Evidence Supports
On September 18, 2026, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hosted a roundtable on mold and fungal illness. Here is what was announced, what different speakers said, and what CDC and EPA say the evidence shows.
Original commentary from the Cancer Explained editorial team.
Please note: this page is educational only — it is not medical advice, and it does not speculate about anyone’s health beyond reliable public reporting. For questions about your own health, talk with your healthcare team.
On September 18, 2026, U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hosted a "Mold Surveillance Roundtable" in Washington. He called for more doctor education, better tests, new treatments and more research on illnesses linked to mold and other fungi. This page sums up what was announced, what different speakers said, and where federal health agencies say the evidence stands.
One note on sources. HHS's own page about the event would not open for us, so we cannot quote it. The account of the event below comes from The MAHA Report, a newsletter that supports the Secretary's agenda, and the funding figures match what other outlets reported. The statements about the science come from CDC and EPA pages we opened.
What was announced
According to The MAHA Report, three pieces of federal funding were announced at the event:
- More than $1.5 million for fungal-disease education for doctors and patients.
- $2.5 million to expand clinical research through the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
- More than $8.7 million to strengthen tracking and lab capacity at 38 state and local health departments.
Most of the money goes to education, research and surveillance, which means counting and understanding fungal disease. None of it was announced as a new treatment or a new rule for homes.
What was said
Secretary Kennedy spoke about his own family. He said a flood in 2003 damaged his New York farmhouse and that "almost all of my children were affected" by mold. He said a son developed a chronic sinus mold infection. He said mold exposure "is one of the first questions that should be asked" when someone has an unexplained, long-lasting illness.
Dr. Peter Pappas, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, was more cautious. He said allergic fungal sinusitis is poorly studied and told the room, "We don't really understand what all this mold exposure means."
Other speakers went further. Dr. Neil Nathan, a physician who treats complex chronic illness, suggested that mold may work together with mast cell activation and inflammation. Daniel Pompa, a chiropractor, described undiagnosed mold illness and said modern drywall can encourage mold growth. We did not find published studies in the sources we opened that test those ideas, and none of the federal pages we read make those claims.
What CDC and EPA say
CDC says fungal diseases are linked to about 7,300 deaths, 130,000 hospital stays and 13 million outpatient visits in the United States each year. CDC adds that invasive mold infections "are rare but are severe and life-threatening," that people with weak immune systems are at higher risk, and that fungal diseases are "often misdiagnosed," which can delay treatment.
For mold in homes, CDC's page says mold can cause a stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing or wheezing, burning eyes or a rash, and that people with asthma or mold allergy may have severe reactions. CDC does not recommend mold testing, because there are no set standards for what amount of mold is acceptable. Its advice for mold at home is to clean it up and fix the moisture problem.
EPA is more careful about wider claims. It says allergic reactions to mold are common and that mold can cause asthma attacks in people who are allergic to it. It then says: "Symptoms other than the allergic and irritant types are not commonly reported as a result of inhaling mold. Research on mold and health effects is ongoing."
Our take
The event was real, and so is the problem it points to. Fungal disease is an under-counted cause of illness, and better tracking and doctor education are reasonable goals. Dr. Pappas's own words show how much is still unknown.
What the event did not do is settle the bigger question of whether long-lasting symptoms such as fatigue or brain fog can be traced to mold in a building. CDC and EPA pages we opened do not say that. We did not find published reactions from medical societies to the roundtable, so we cannot report how professional groups responded.
For cancer, the best-known mold link is a specific food toxin called aflatoxin, which NCI links to liver cancer. Our fact-check of an Instagram post about this event covers it in detail: HHS Held a Mold Roundtable. Here's the Real Cancer Connection to Mold. Household mold is a separate matter.
What this means for people in cancer treatment
People in treatment are often the ones CDC describes as higher risk, because chemotherapy can weaken the immune system. CDC says a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher during chemotherapy needs a call to the care team right away, even in the middle of the night. Our page on fever during chemotherapy explains why.
Talk to your care team if you are in treatment and there is visible mold or water damage where you live or work, or if you have ongoing coughing, wheezing or trouble breathing. If you have severe trouble breathing, chest pain or confusion, call 911 or go to an emergency room.
Sources
- The MAHA Report, "Kennedy Takes Aim at Mold": themahareport.com (supportive of the Secretary; used for what was said and the funding figures)
- CDC, "About Fungal Diseases": cdc.gov
- CDC, "Mold Health Effects": cdc.gov
- EPA, "Molds and Health for Public Health Professionals": epa.gov
- National Cancer Institute, "Aflatoxins": cancer.gov
How this article was prepared
An AI-assisted editorial system helped prepare this page. It used news coverage of the September 18, 2026 HHS Mold Surveillance Roundtable and CDC and EPA guidance on mold and fungal disease. No named medical reviewer has reviewed it unless one is listed.
Cancer Explained is published by the National Cancer Information Foundation. It is not medical advice and does not suggest a test or treatment.
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Put the story in context
Prevention, possible warning signs, screening, and diagnosis
This story relates to Mold, fungal infections and people with weak immune systems. The information below is general: it does not reveal anything else about a public person’s health, and not every point applies to every cancer. Personal advice depends on age, symptoms, family history, exposures, and medical history.
Prevention and risk reduction
Not every cancer can be prevented. Avoiding tobacco, protecting skin from ultraviolet radiation, limiting alcohol, staying active, and receiving recommended HPV or hepatitis B vaccination can lower the risk of certain cancers. A risk factor is not a prediction or a cause in one individual.
Symptoms and possible early signs
Possible signs vary and are often caused by conditions other than cancer. Changes worth discussing include a new lump, unexplained bleeding or weight loss, a persistent cough, lasting bowel or bladder changes, a changing skin spot, or symptoms that persist or worsen. Some early cancers cause no symptoms.
Screening and early detection
Screening looks for certain cancers before symptoms begin. Recommended tests exist only for some cancers and depend on age and risk. Screening can have benefits and harms; it is not the same as evaluating a new symptom, and there is no single routine scan or blood test that reliably screens for every cancer.
How cancer is diagnosed
Diagnosis may involve a history and exam, imaging, laboratory tests, and often a biopsy. Pathology can identify the cancer type and may test biomarkers that guide treatment. Symptoms, screening results, tumor markers, or online stories alone cannot confirm cancer.
A public story may encourage questions, but it should not be used to estimate your risk or choose testing. Contact a healthcare professional about a persistent or concerning change. Seek urgent care for severe or rapidly worsening symptoms.