LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Louisville area has been saturated with rain this year, and at times, some neighborhoods flooded. All the moisture has increased the mold threat.

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Last month, the Kentucky Department of Public Health issued a mold advisory.

"Certainly the conditions are more contusive to the growth of mold because of the amount of rain we are getting," said Gary Delius, acting director of the Kentucky Department of Public Health.

It doesn't take long for mold to take off. A home in Spencer County was a prime example.

"As you can see here, we have black mold, red mold, green mold, a lot of dangerous molds," mold inspector Jeremy Fuller explained. "A lot of dangerous molds and these molds, because the water barely touched the drywall here, has wicked up the wall."

The home, which is in foreclosure, flooded this spring. The carpet was pulled up, but the basement wasn't dried out. Now, mold can be found on nearly every wall and it's creeping toward the ceiling. What you can't see on the outside of the drywall can be detected by thermal imaging cameras.

Fuller, who's with Clean Air Plus, took air and swab samples from the house. He said they indicated dangerous levels of mold spores.

Dr. Stuart White is with Kentuckiana Allergy. He is seeing more patients than a year ago.

"In my experience, mold allergies tend to cause more congestion and chronic drainage as opposed to the typical hay fever symptoms of itching and sneezing," said White.

Brent Parker knows the symptoms all to well. The home he's buying in eastern Jefferson County had been empty for 18 months. He tried living here before mold was abated and drywall replaced.

"I tried to move in to the property before it was abated and I couldn't even sleep," he said.

A leaking roof created his problems. The once mold-covered drywall and ceiling in the stairway have been replaced. So has a bathroom closet.

White warns mold exposure can have long-term effects.

"There's some evidence that chronic asthma caused by mold or allergies can gradually cause loss of lung function," he said.

"Certainly if you get the right environment, moisture from flood saturation, the drywall and carpet, furniture and the warming temperatures this time of the year, you can certainly have mold growth," Delius said.

And it's not just rain that can cause the problem. Leaking plumbing can do the same. There is no certification required for mold contractors in Kentucky, so state officials urge you to do your homework when searching for someone reputable.

Parker had it done to assure a safe environment for himself and his two children.

"Just the smell was completely different once they left the home and did the treatment," he said. "It was like fresh air again."