Coronavirus has already disturbed several lives, the whole world is fighting with this deadly virus and now another news linked with this virus is coming up. Medical experts at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital found multiple cases of Mucormycosis, a rare fungal infection in the recovering coronavirus patients. They said that nearly half of them have lost their eyesight.
An advisory has also been issued by the Gujarat health department after seeing that some patients of the COVID-19 within the state were found infected with a rare fungal infection known as mucormycosis which has a “mortality rate of nearly 50 percent”. It is also mentioned that mucormycosis infects people with a weak immune system and those with other existing illnesses.
As per Medical experts, this affliction is rare but not new though what is new is the impact of COVID-19 behind triggering this deadly infection.
Now, let us study Mucormycosis
According to the CDC, mucormycosis sometimes known as zygomycosis is a serious but rare fungal infection that is caused due to a group of molds called mucormycetes. These fungi live throughout the environment mainly in soil and in decaying matter including leaves, compost piles, or rotten wood.
The disease mainly infects people who have some sort of health problems or take medicines that lower the ability of the body to fight germs and sickness. Mostly, it affects the sinuses or the lungs after inhaling fungal spores from the air, or the skin after the fungus enters the skin through the cut, burn, or any other type of skin injury. Therefore, it can occur in nearly any part of the body.
Mucormycosis: Symptoms
Mucormycosis symptoms depend upon where the fungus is growing in the body. Some common symptoms are as follows:
- Swelling in one side of the face
- Headache
- Nasal or Sinus congestion
- Fever
- Cough
- Chest Pain
- Shortness of breath
- Black lesions on nasal bridge or upper inside mouth
- Abdominal pain, etc.
Note: Symptoms like fever, cough, and shortness of breath are also prevalent in COVID-19 patients.
Explained: What is the new strain of the COVID-19 detected in the UK?
Mucormycosis: Types
1. Gastrointestinal mucormycosis: This type of infection is more common in young children than adults, especially premature and low birth weight infants less than 1 month of age, who have had antibiotics, surgery, or medications. Due to this body’s ability to fight germs and sickness gets lowered.
2. Rhinocerebral (sinus and brain) mucormycosis: This type of infection occurs in the sinuses and can spread to the brain. Most commonly it is found in people with uncontrolled diabetes and in people who have had a kidney transplant.
3. Disseminated mucormycosis: This type of infection spreads through the bloodstream to affect another part of the body. Most commonly, the infection affects the brain, but also can affect other organs like the spleen, heart, and skin.
4. Pulmonary (lung) mucormycosis: This is often the foremost common type of infection in people with cancer and in people who have had an organ transplant or a stem cell transplant.
5. Cutaneous (skin) mucormycosis: As the name suggests, this infection occurs after the fungi enter the body through a break in the skin like after surgery, a burn, or other types of skin trauma. It is said that this is the most common type of mucormycosis among people who do not have weakened immune systems.
Fungi that most commonly cause mucormycosis are:
Examples like Rhizopus species, Mucor species, Rhizomucor species, Syncephalastrum species, Cunninghamella Bertholletia, Apophysomyces species, and Lichtheimia (formerly Absidia) species.
Let us tell you that mucormycosis is not contagious that is it can't spread between people or between people and animals.
Mucormycosis: Prevention
In fungal spores, it is difficult to avoid breathing because the fungi that cause mucormycosis are common in the environment. There is no vaccine to prevent mucormycosis. There are some ways for people who have weakened immune systems to lower the chances of developing mucormycosis.
Therefore it is important to protect yourself from the environment. It is noted that these actions are recommended and not proven to prevent mucormycosis.
- Try to avoid going into areas where there is a lot of dust like construction or excavation sites and wear masks.
- It will be better to avoid direct contact with water-damaged buildings and flood water after hurricanes and natural disasters.
- Avoid activities that involve close contacts with soil or dust, like yard work or gardening. If it is not possible then wear shoes, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, wear gloves, etc.
- Antifungal medication: If there is a high risk of developing mucormycosis and other mold infections in a person then to prevent it, the healthcare providers may prescribe some kind of medications. Here to note is that still doctors and scientists are learning about which transplant patients are at the highest risk and the best way to prevent fungal infections.
Source: cdc.gov
Comments
All Comments (0)
Join the conversation