"Black Fungus" killing people

 *IN DEPTH* 

What is the ‘black fungus’ killing Covid patients?

India reporting surge in fatal mucormycosis infections in people who have recovered from coronavirus.

11 MAY 2021.

Indian hospital

Covid patients at the Holy Family hospital in New Delhi, India.

A rare “ black fungus” that kills around half of all infected people is being reported in a growing number of former Covid-19 patients in India. 

The fungus can spread rapidly, with some patients forced to have their jaw bone, nose or eyes removed in order to prevent it from reaching their brain.

 What is it?

The medical name for the rare fungal infection is mucormycosis, which is caused by moulds called mucormycetes. This group of fungi “are present throughout the environment, particularly in soil and in association with decaying organic matter, such as leaves, compost piles, and animal dung”, says the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the health agency, the infection commonly affects the sinuses or lungs after spores are inhaled, but can also enter the body through a cut, burn or other type of skin injury.

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The fungus “grows incredibly fast”, says David Denning, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Manchester and chief executive of the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections (Gaffi).

And “once it gets in, it just marches through the tissue and doesn’t respect tissue planes, so it can go straight from ordinary tissue through into bone, into nerves”, he told The Telegraph.

Symptoms include a stuffy and bleeding nose, pain and swelling in the eyes, blurred vision and sometimes black patches around the nose.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, mucormycosis was “extremely rare” in India, with just a few cases annually, the paper reports. But now “leading hospitals across India are now seeing multiple cases daily”.

 Why is it affecting Covid patients? 

Experts say that mucormycosis mainly affects people who are in poor health or have taken medication that lowers their body’s ability to fight off germs and sickness.

In former Covid patients, the infection has been linked to “the use of steroids”, the BBC reports. While the drugs are “a life-saving treatment” for people battling severe cases of the coronavirus, the resulting drop in immunity is thought to be triggering cases of mucormycosis.

People with diabetes are also much more likely to become infected with the black fungus, and steroids can push up blood sugar levels. “Diabetes lowers the body’s immune defences, coronavirus exacerbates it, and then steroids which help fight Covid-19 act like fuel to the fire,” Dr Akshay Nair, a Mumbai-based eye surgeon, told the broadcaster.

Another possible reason for the rise in cases may be that, with hospitals overwhelmed, “many families are self-medicating and applying oxygen therapy at home without the proper hygiene”, says The New York Times.

The BBC reports that an anti-fungal intravenous injection that “has to be administered every day for up to eight weeks is the only drug effective against the disease”. But many people in India cannot afford the jabs, which cost 3,500 rupees (£33.75) per dose.

Dr Renuka Bradoo, head of the ear, nose and throat wing in Mumbai’s Sion Hospital, told the broadcaster that of 24 mucormycosis patients who she had treated in the past two months, 11 had to lose an eye and six died.

“It’s a nightmare inside a pandemic,” Bradoo said.

Coronavirus survivors in new distress! When the rate of coronavirus cases is spiking in India every day, new symptoms of the deadly disease Mucormycosis better known as Black Fungus is already knocking at the door. It is being reported that the Black Fungus is affecting Covid-19 survivors from Delhi, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Although it has triggered panic amongst people, it does not affect everyone.

What is Black Fungus?

Rare Fungal infection caused due to killer fungus known as Mucor. Mucormycosis or Black Fungus is a serious infection and condition which exists in the environment and is mostly found in wet surfaces. People who come in contact with fungal spores in the environment are getting affected by Mucormycosis. It shows in form of black molds on the body.

The fungus which is causing the disease is now being linked to the airborne Covid-19 infection. The Black Fungus came into light during the first wave of the pandemic and at that time it was known as Zygomycosis. The deadly infection is found in some Covid-19 patients who have diabetes and prolonged intensive ICU care so far.

The fungal spores are commonly entering through inhalation affecting the sins and lungs. It has also been observed that the fungus can penetrate through open cuts or wounds and affects the skin.

The things to be aware of for Black Fungus.

The Fungus is generally affecting the Covid-19 patients having other comorbidities like diabetes, cancer, kidney or heart failure, and patients on steroids having a transplant as well. According to the CDC of the United States, it is most common in diabetic patients. Thus, the fungus doesn’t affect everyone.

Prior to Covid-19 the Black fungus still existed and affected people with a lower amount of immunity. As coronavirus has lately become the main reason behind decreasing immunity it largely affecting people with diabetes. As a result of this, the Covid survivors are vulnerable to the infection, especially in the second wave.

Early detection of the disease will aid the patients’ medication for the fungal infection and clinical treatment. If the disease is left untreated or undiagnosed then it might lead to blindness, removal of the nose, or even death.

Symptoms include:

1. Headache
2. Nasal or sinus congestion
3. Fever
4. One-sided face swelling
5. Black lesions on nasal bridge or upper inside of the mouth
6. Pain under eye
7. Partial loss of eyesight

May 22, 2021.

India — Several states over the last 24 hours declared mucormycosis, a life-threatening viral infection in Covid-19 patients, a notifiable disease following the central government’s advisory on Thursday.

The Centre on Thursday wrote a letter to all the states and union territories asking to make mucormycosis or black fungus a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897.

A notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities. This allows the authorities to monitor the disease and provides early warning of possible outbreaks.

Mucormycosis is commonly seen in Covid-19 patients who are in the recovery phase of the disease. It usually infects people whose immune system has been compromised due to comorbidities such as diabetes, kidney or heart failure or cancer.

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The symptoms of the fungal infection include blackening or discoloration over the nose, blurred or double vision, chest pain, breathing difficulties and coughing blood.

Here is the list of states that have declared mucormycosis a notifiable disease:

Telangana

Telangana was the first state to declare mucormycosis a notifiable disease. The state government gave the order on Thursday morning, hours before the Centre’s advisory.

Odisha

On the line of the Centre’s advisory, Odisha on Thursday declared black fungus a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.

Karnataka

Karnataka health minister K Sudhakar on Thursday said no hospital or medical centre with the capacity to treat mucormycosis can deny admission to patients. He made the statement while declaring it a notifiable disease. An official government order wil also be notified soon, he also said.

Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu government declared mucormycosis a notifiable disease under the Public Health Act. It has also constituted a 10-member committee, including the Director, Medical Education with medical experts to examine the disease and give a more clear picture.

Rajasthan

A notification for the same was issued by the state’s principal health secretary Akhil Arora. In a statement on Thursday, Arora said the step was taken to ensure integrated and coordinated treatment of black fungus and the coronavirus.

Rajasthan has around 100 black fungus patients as of May 19, according to state government data.

Gujarat

“Government and private hospitals/medical colleges treating the disease will have to follow guidelines by the Union Health Ministry as well as ICMR for screening, diagnosis & treatment,” said Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani as he passed the order.