Explained: What is black fungus? Can it be life threatening?

Black Fungus infection: Coronavirus pandemic has brought so many changes in our lives, people are already in a panic state, and recently a rare and serious fungal infection, the black fungus has emerged, it is a deadly disease, which has brought more panic to the people who are already living in fear, as to what is going to happen next. There is no major outbreak, but still national Covid Taskforce acting swiftly, has issued an advisory.

Mucormycosis is a serious infection, and it is both rare and dangerous, this aggressive infection affects, the nose, eyes and sometimes the brain. The Mucormycosis, better known colloquially as black fungus, this infection is majorly found among Covid-19 survivors, majorly belonging to few states such as Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The above new symptoms has raised eyebrows and added more panic among the people, even though it does not affect all. So you may be wondering, as to who must worry about it? Here are some of the details you should know, to wade away your fears.

The above infection usually manifests in the skin and it also affects the individual's lungs as well as the brain. As the cases are increasing of Mucormycosis, which was found in Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra, the national Covid-19 experts task force, on Sunday has issued evidence-based advisory on the above disease.

What is this rare disease?

This is a rare disease and it can cause serious infection. The major cause is, group of moulds, which are known as Mucormycosis present naturally in the environment, the Covid-19 task force experts, state that, those individuals who are already on medication due to varied health problems they do not have the ability to battle against environmental pathogens. Lungs as well as sinuses of these individual get affected after they start inhaling fungal spores from the air. The doctors have recognized that few states have reported a rise in the number of cases of Mucormycosis, especially those people who have hospitalized or who are on the road to recovery from Covid-19. Some of these might also require urgent surgery. If you have healthy immune system, then Mucormycosis do not pose a major threat to you.

If you contract this disease, what happens?

There are few warning signs you will experience such as pain as well as redness around your eyes as well as the nose and you will also have headache, fever, shortness of breath, coughing, altered mental status and bloody vomits too. As per the advisory, infection with Mucormycosis should be suspected in these cases.

• You may experience either blurred or double vision with pain

• You may have Skin lesion, thrombosis, necrosis

• You may feel as if teeth has been loosened, jaw involvements

• You will notice black discoloration over the bridge of your nose/palate

• You may experience local pain on the cheek bone, numbness or swelling, one sided facial pain

• Chest pain, worsening of respiratory symptoms, pleural effusion

• Sinusitis, nasal blockade or nasal discharge(blackish/bloody) or congestion

The expert's advice, you must not be worried, as all cases of blocked nose, need not necessarily be cases of bacterial sinusitis, especially in the context immunosuppression patients such as cancer and HIV patients and/or Covid 19 patients on immunomodulations. You must not hesitate to further seek aggressive investigation in order to detect fungal infection, they advise.

How to prevent this disease?

One must remember this one is a rare disease; however, few groups of people are more vulnerable when compared to others. These patients are more vulnerable, uncontrolled mellitus, patients who had prolonged ICU stay. Immunosuppressant by steroids and comorbidities such as post transplant, voriconazole therapy and malignancy.

Experts have advised that, one must use mask incase if you are visiting construction sites which are dusty, and you must also try to wear long trousers, shoes and long sleeved shirts along with gloves while handling soil for gardening, moss or manure. You should also try to maintain personal hygiene, time to time; you must indulge in having a good scrub bath.

Diagnosis of this disease

A sample of fluid from your respiratory system, might be taken so that it can be tested in the lab else a tissue biopsy or CT scan of the lungs or sinuses are conducted. It also depends on the suspected infection location.

Timely Treatment must be undertaken else you risk losing your eye and loss of upper jaw

Mucormycosis must be treated using antifungal medicinal, which has been prescribed. In a few cases, even surgery might be needed, it may lead to eventual loss of the upper jaw and sometimes they may even lose their eye.

Doctors have stated that, they are surprised by both, its severity as well as frequency of this fungal infection during the 2nd wave, when compared to the 1st wave previous year, only very few cases were reported.

What doctors have to say?

A Bangalore based doctor; DR. Hedge has stated that he has not seen more than 1 or 2 cases a year over a decade of his practice.

Doctors have said, most patients come very late, by that time, they have already lost their vision and doctors to save their lives, they have to surgically remove the eyes to stop the infection getting spread to the brain.

In a few cases, Indian doctors have stated that, patients have lost their vision in both eyes. And in rare cases, doctors have to remove the jaw bone surgically to stop the disease from spreading.

The anti-fungal intravenous injection, which costs around Rs.3500 ($48) each dose and this has to be administered every day for a period of 8 weeks, this one is the only effective drug available against the above disease.

One of the youngest patient, who is just 27 years old male and he was not diabetic too, but it is very unfortunate, the doctors had to operate on him, during his 2nd week of Covid-19 and had to remove his eye. This one is, really devastating.