By B.G Ramaprasad
Cases of mucormycosis, or “black fungus,” a potentially serious condition that causes blurred or double vision, chest pain, and breathing difficulties, have surged in India, mostly among COVID-19 patients. At least 8,848 such cases have been found across the country as of May 21, according to the government. The disease is caused by fungal spores found in soil and organic matter, usually inhaled by humans from the air. The mould enters the body and then manifests around the nose and eye sockets, causing the nose to blacken, and if not stopped will move fatally into the brain.
Mucormycosis, previously known as zygomycosis (and especially for rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis, sometimes called black fungus) is a serious fungal infection, generally in people with less ability to fight infection. Symptoms depend on the part of the body infected. It most commonly infects the sinuses and brain resulting in a runny nose, one-sided facial swelling and pain, headache, fever, and tissue death. Other forms of disease may infect the lungs, stomach and intestines, and skin. It is generally spread by breathing in, eating food contaminated by, or getting spores of molds of the Mucorales type in an open wound. These fungi are frequently present in the air, in decomposing organic matter such as rotting fruit and vegetables, leaves, and animal manure, but do not usually affect people. It is not transmitted between people. Risk factors include diabetes (particularly DKA), cancer, organ transplant, iron overload, long-term steroids or immunosuppressant use, and to a lesser extent in HIV/AIDS. Diagnosis is by biopsy and culture, with medical imaging to help determine the extent of disease. It may appear similar to aspergillosis.
Signs and symptoms
- Signs and symptoms of Mucormycosis relate to where the infection is. Infection usually begins in the mouth or nose and enters the central nervous system via the eyes.
- Fever, cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing, or coughing up blood, can occur when the lungs are involved.[6] A tummy ache, nausea, vomiting, and bleeding can occur when the gastrointestinal tract is involved. Affected skin may appear as a dusky reddish tender patch with a darkening center due to tissue death. There may be an ulcer and it can be very painful.
- Invasion into the blood vessels can result in thrombosis and subsequent death of surrounding tissue due to a loss of blood supply.