DNA Explainer: What is black fungus or Mucormycosis? Know about its symptoms and treatment

India is not just fighting the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic but a new calamity has also put the lives of corona patients at risk across the country. Doctors in India have been recording a big spurt in cases of aggressive, hard-to-treat fungal infection called black fungus or Mucormycosis.

While mucormycosis cases have been seen in the country earlier, the current increase in infections is among people infected with COVID-19 and those who have recovered from the disease. The numbers are far above cases before the COVID-19 pandemic came into India.

Doctors believe mucormycosis, which has an overall mortality rate of 50%, maybe being triggered by the use of steroids, a life-saving treatment for severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients.

What is black fungus? 

Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus or zygomycosis, is caused by a group of mould called mucormycetes.

These fungi live in the environment, particularly in soil and in decaying organic matter, such as leaves, compost piles, or rotten wood, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

When someone breathes these fungal spores, they are likely to get an infection that commonly affects the sinuses or lungs.

Medical experts say mucormycosis attacks people who are battling illnesses or are on medications that lower the body's ability to fight infections.

Patients with COVID-19 have weak immunity and a large number of them are put on steroids in order to control a hyperimmune response, thus making them susceptible to other fungal infections such as mucormycosis, say experts.

The majority of mucormycosis infections have been seen in COVID-19 patients with diabetes or those with underlying and undetected high blood sugar.

Symptoms of black fungus

Patients suffering from the fungal infection typically have symptoms of a stuffy and bleeding nose.

Swelling of and pain in the eye, drooping of eyelids, and blurred and finally, loss of vision.

There could be black patches of skin around the nose.

Treatment of black fungus

An anti-fungal intravenous injection which costs Rs 3,500 a dose and has to be administered every day for up to eight weeks is the only drug effective against the disease.