Bhubaneswar: Even as the country is grappling with the Covid-19 Pandemic and lakhs of people are getting infected, a new disease Mucormycosis or the Black Fungus is slowly emerging as a new health hazard. In the last few days, an increased number of Covid recovered patients have been found to be infected with the fatal Black Fungus disease. States particularly Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi have reported an alarming increase in the number of Black Fungus patients. Otherwise very rare, the trend today is mostly the Covid-19 recovered patients are getting infected with it. This dangerous fungal infection mostly occurs weeks to months after recovery from Covid-19 and is caused by a group of moulds known as mucormycetes present naturally in the atmosphere.
Black Fungus affects mainly people who are or were on treatment for diseases which reduce their ability to fight environment pathogens. When the fungal spores get inhaled by individuals, the Sinuses or lungs of such individuals get affected. It affects the sinuses, the brain and the lungs and can be life-threatening in diabetic or severely immunocompromised individuals such as cancer patients.
• Signs of Black Fungus include pain and redness around eyes or nose along with fever, headache, cough, shortness of breath, blood and vomiting
• Symptoms of Sinusitis such as nasal blockage or congestion and nasal discharge
• Stuffy and bleeding nose, swelling of and pain in the eyes, drooping of eyelids
• Black patches on skin around the nose
• Pain on the cheek bone, one-sided facial pain, numbness or swelling
• Chest pain, pleural effusion, worsening of respiratory symptoms
The advisory issued by ICMS says “Mucormycosis, if uncared for, may turn fatal. Sinuses or lungs of such individuals get affected after fungal spores are inhaled from the air,”. The warning symptoms include pain and redness around eyes and nose, fever, headache, coughing, shortness of breath, bloody vomits and altered mental status. In Covid-19 patients with diabetes and immuno-suppressed individuals, one must suspect of mucormycosis if there is sinusitis, one-side facial pain or numbness, blackish discoloration over the bridge of the nose or palate, toothache, blurred or double vision with pain, skin lesion, thrombosis, chest pain and worsening respiratory symptoms.
The treatment for Black Fungus requires anti-fungals and it may eventually require surgery is severe cases. It is important to control diabetes, reduce steroid use, and discontinue immunomodulating drugs. Black Fungus infection can lead to loss of upper jaw and sometimes even the eye after surgery. It is a rare disease and certain sections of people are more vulnerable than others. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression by steroids, prolonged ICU stay, and comorbidities can make it severe.
Health professionals advise people to wear when visiting dusty areas especially construction sites. It is also advised to people to protect themselves with shoes, long trousers, long-sleeved shirts and gloves while handling soil (gardening), moss etc. Maintaining personal hygiene is a must to avoid the fungal infection.
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