All you need to know about Black Fungus Disease

Mucormycosis is a serious but rare fungal disease. It usually occurs as an opportunistic infection in immunocompromised people. India is reporting several cases of mucormycosis in COVID or Post-COVID patients. Let us have an overall idea about this fatal disease.


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Mucormycosis

Why mucormycosis is also called the Black Fungus Disease?

In mucormycosis, the affected skin can get blackened. Sometimes, black colored discharge can come out through the nostrils even through the eyes.

What is mucormycosis?

Mucormycosis is an opportunistic fungal disease. It is caused by different fungi species, like Rhizopus, Mucor, etc. Usually, it doesn't occur in a healthy person but these fungi can cause disease if opportunities are available in the body to produce disease. Opportunities include uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, long-term steroid use, very low immunity immunosuppressant therapy, etc.

How do these fungi get entry into the human body?
Fungi associated with mucormycosis are soil saprophytes. They grow up on rotten leaves, wood, etc. Their spores travel in the air for a long distance. Basically, these fungi are ubiquitous in nature.
1. The spores can enter the human body by inhalation.
3. They can enter by ingestion.
2. Sometimes they enter the human body through a cut or burn on the skin surface.

What are the types of mucormycosis?
Mucormycosis is of five types-
1. Rhino-oculo-cerebral mucormycosis
2. Pulmonary mucormycosis
3. Gastrointestinal mucormycosis
4. Cutaneous mucormycosis
5. Disseminated mucormycosis.

What are the signs and symptoms of mucormycosis?
1. In the case of rhino-oculo-cerebral mucormycosis, the infection can spread from the paranasal sinuses to the eyes and then to the brain. The face can be red or black. There can be a headache or facial pain. Black discharge or blood can come out from the nose or eyes. In severe cases, there can be loss of vision. If the infection has spread to the brain, then a coma can occur.


2. In pulmonary mucormycosis there can be cough, chest pain, dyspnoea fever, etc.
3. In gastrointestinal mucormycosis abdominal pain nausea, vomiting, etc. can occur.
4. Cutaneous mucormycosis means a type of mucormycosis which is caused due to the entry of fungi inside the body through a cut or burn on the skin.
5. Disseminated mucormycosis is spreading mucormycosis from the primary site of infection to other parts of the body mainly through blood.

Why the COVID-19 patients or the patients who recovered from COVID-19 are getting affected by mucormycosis?
1. COVID-19 is a viral disease. The body's immunity can go down due to an intense fight with the virus.
2. The steroids which are being used for the treatment of COVID-19, can suppress immunity.
3. Long-term use of steroids also increases blood glucose levels.
So, if a diabetic person is treated with steroids after getting affected with COVID-19, there is a high chance of the development of mucormycosis.

What are the precautions to be taken?
1. Diabetic patients should try to maintain their blood glucose level under control.
2. Diabetic patients should check their blood glucose level after recovery from COVID-19 as per the doctor's advice.
3. After getting recovered from COVID-19, if anybody finds any symptom of mucormycosis in his/her body, he/she has to consult the doctor without any delay.
4. As usual no one should step out of home without a mask and without unavoidable work.
5. Try to use a mask and gloves during gardening.

Watch the video about Mucormycosis in Bengali:


Disclaimer:

This article is a compilation of knowledge that I gathered from different sources. If any part of this article is found similar to any other article in any respect, the same should be treated as mere coincidence only.


Image: Wikipedia