Black Fungus Infection Makes A Comeback In Covid Patients; Know What Causes It & Why It Is Fatal

Mucormycosis is caused by mucormycetes which are molds that are present naturally in the environment.

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New Delhi: Multiple cases of Black fungus infections has been reported in Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the past few days. Black fungal infection attacks was initially reported last year which caused many of the patients to lose their eyesight.

According to the CDC (Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention), this rare but critical fungal infection is caused by a group of molds known as mucormycetes. These molds are present naturally in the environment. 

Who will get infected with black fungus? 

Mucormycisis is a fungal infection triggered by COVID-19. Black fungus or mucormycosis has been a cause of disease and death of patients in transplants, ICUs and immunodeficient patients since long.

A senior ENT surgeon, Dr Manish Munjal, at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told PTI, "We are seeing a rise again in this dangerous fungal infection triggered by COVID-19. In the last two days, we have admitted six cases of mucormycisis. Last year, this deadly infection caused a high mortality with many patients suffering from the loss of eyesight and the removal of the nose and the jaw bone."

Dr Ajay Swaroop, the chairman of the ENT department at the hospital, said the use of steroids in the treatment of COVID-19 coupled with the fact that many coronavirus patients have diabetes could be one of the reasons for this rise in the number of black fungus cases again. “Use of steroids in treatment of coronavirus infection and the fact that many Covid-19 patients have diabetes as co-morbidity could be one of the reasons for this rise in black fungus cases again. Covid-19 infected patients with weak immunity are more prone to this deadly infection," he explained.

Dr Munjal concurred with his colleague and said COVID patients with a weak immunity are more prone to this deadly infection.

Treatment for mucormycosis 

It is being said that the “overall mortality rate is around 50 per cent", but early identification and treatment can lead to a better outcome.  "Early clinical suspicion on symptoms such as nose obstruction, swelling in the eyes or cheeks and black crusts in the nose should immediately prompt a biopsy and start of antifungal therapy as early as possible," Dr Munjal said.

This year, a Mumbai-based bio-pharmaceutical firm, Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited, became the first company in India to receive the approval from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to use anti-fungal medication — Liposomal Amphotericin B or LAmB — as a medical intervention in patients of mucormycosis, reported IANS. 

Is Black Fungus infection fatal?

If left untreated for too long it could be fatal, according to media reports, last year in Ahmedabad, mucormycosis was reported in five patients who were all either suffering from Covid19 or had recovered from it two of whom succumbed to the infection while two among the survivors lost their eyesight. Whereas, two out of the 4 similar cases from Bengaluru resulted in death.