Mucormycosis: the deadly black fungus
Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, is a rare but dangerous infection. It is being increasingly seen in vulnerable patients in India, including those with COVID-19, as the country continues to struggle in the pandemic. Usually very rare, mucormycosis has a high mortality rate and is difficult to treat. The US Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates mucormycosis with an overall all-cause mortality rate of 54%.
Mucormycosis is affecting COVID-19 patients more due to prolonged administration of steroids and subsequent immunocompromised state. People with diabetes, on steroids and humidified oxygen for a long time, and COVID-19 patients with pre-existing comorbidities are the most at risk.
It is caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes and often affects the sinuses, lungs, skin, and brain. You can inhale the mold spores or come into contact with them in things like soil, rotting produce or bread, or compost piles.
The infection can happen to anyone at any age. Most people will come into contact with the fungus at some point in their everyday lives. But you are more likely to get sick if you have a weakened immune system because of a medication you are taking or because you have a health condition like uncontrolled diabetes, cancer, bad health due to poor nutrition etc.
The symptoms of mucormycosis will depend on where in your body the fungus is growing. They may include but not limited to fever, cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, swelling on one side of your face, headache, nausea and vomiting, sinus pain, diarrhoea etc. If your skin is infected, the area can look blistered, red, or swollen. It might turn black or feel warm or painful.
People who have mucormycosis often do not know they have it. You should see your doctor for any type of suspected infection. Fluid and tissue samples may be taken to confirm a diagnosis. Your doctor may do imaging tests like CT or MRI scans to find out whether the infection has spread to your brain or other organs.
Mucormycosis is particularly dangerous because it spreads quickly throughout the body. Left untreated, the infection can spread to the lungs or the brain. This can cause brain infection, paralysis, pneumonia, seizures and even death.
If you are diagnosed with mucormycosis, you should start treatment as soon as possible with antifungal medications prescribed by your doctor. These medicines stop the growth of the fungus, destroy it, and bring the infection under control. Treatment may also include surgical debridement, which involves cutting away all infected tissue. Removing infected tissue has been shown to prevent the infection from spreading further.
Mucormycosis is not contagious, so you cannot get it from an infected person. If you have a weakened immune system, it is important to keep yourself safe outdoors. Wearing a mask while outside and bandaging all wounds until they heal will help prevent fungal infections. People should also maintain personal hygiene, ensure if they have diabetes that it is well controlled, and doctors should discontinue immune-suppressing drugs such as steroids as soon as patients are able.
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