Subscribe Us

Black fungus(mucormycosis):Can black fungus spread like Covid-19?

Black fungus or mucormycosis


Black fungus or mucormycosis - a rare but potentially fatal fungal infection - is rapidly taking hold in several states during India's devastating second wave of the coronavirus.
Black fungus or mucormycosis
Image:gettyimage

Black Fungus or mucormycosis is an invasive infection caused by a group of molds known as mucormycetes. These fungi are ubiquitous, naturally occurring in our environment, mainly in soil. Humans get the infection by inhaling the fungal spores floating around in the air and in the dust. These spores get deposited in the nasal passages and sinuses and cause disease in that area. The black fungus becomes really worst when people are affected with other health problems or take medicines that can lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness.

Symptoms of mucormycosis


The symptoms of “black fungus” vary depending on where it takes root, the CDC explains. The sinuses and brain, the lungs, the skin, and the gut can all become infected.

Symptoms of mucormycosis in the sinuses and brain may include:

✓One-sided facial swelling
✓Headache
✓Nasal or sinus congestion
✓Black lesions on nasal bridge or upper inside of mouth that quickly become more severe
✓Fever

Symptoms of mucormycosis in the lungs may include:

✓Fever
✓Cough
✓Chest pain
✓Shortness of breath

Symptoms of mucormycosis on the skin may include:

✓Blisters or ulcers
✓Black skin around the infection
✓Pain
✓Warmth
✓Excessive redness
✓Swelling

Symptoms of mucormycosis in the gastrointestinal tract:

✓Abdominal pain
✓Nausea and vomiting
✓Gastrointestinal bleeding


Is Black fungus infected many Covid-19 patients of India?


According to National geographic,"On May 9, Ananyaa Mazumdar received a call that left her stumped. Her panic-stricken cousin explained that her 48-year-old aunt, who had recently recovered from a COVID-19 infection, had lost most of her vision in both eyes.

The emergency room doctors at the Max Super Speciality Hospital in Ghaziabad, a satellite city outside India’s capital New Delhi, suggested that because the infection was so advanced, she needed immediate surgery to remove her eyes. Aghast at first, the family soon realized that they had no other option.

“It’s all that could be done—and had to be done,” Mazumdar said. “It’s like we were sitting on a ticking time bomb.”

Her diabetic aunt was diagnosed with an extremely rare fungal infection called mucormycosis that’s on the rise among recovering and recovered-but-vulnerable COVID-19 patients in India. Colloquially referred to as “black fungus” due to its dark pigmentation, this potentially fatal infection starts in the nose and spreads to the eyes and then the brain.

Public health experts are blaming the indiscriminate use of steroids to treat COVID-19 as the likely cause."

Can black fungus spread like Covid-19?


The infection can also spread to other parts of your body through your blood. This is called disseminated mucormycosis. When this happens, the fungus can affect organs like your spleen and heart. In severe cases, you may have changes to your mental state or go into a coma. It can even be deadly.

Source

www.prevention.com
api.nationalgeographic.com
Zeebiz.com
www.webmd.com

Post a Comment

0 Comments