Black fungus or mucormycosis is a rare type of fungal infection that occurs through exposure to fungi called mucormycosis. These fungi commonly occur in the environment, particularly in leaves, soil, compost, and animal dung. Mucormycetes can enter the body through breathing, inhaling, and exposed wounds in the skin. Mucormycosis mainly affects people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body's ability to fight germs and sickness.
There are different types of mucormycosis, including rhinocerebral (sinus and brain), pulmonary (lung), gastrointestinal, and cutaneous (skin) mucormycosis.
Symptoms of mucormycosis (black fungus)
The common symptoms associated with this disease include headache, nasal congestion, facial pain, loss of vision or pain in the eyes, swelling in cheeks and eyes, and black crusts in the nose.
Respiratory-related symptoms include:
cough
fever
headache
chest pain
nasal or sinus congestion and pain
shortness of breath
Skin-related symptoms, which may occur in and spread to any part of the body, include:
blackened skin tissue
redness, swelling, tenderness
blisters
ulcers
Mucormycosis is not contagious, and most people who come in contact with the fungi do not develop the infection. However, people with severely weakened immune systems are at increased risk of mucormycosis or black fungus. This includes people with:
diabetes
cancer
HIV
skin injury
Surgery
COVID-19 and mucormycosis
COVID-19 leads to a weakened immune system, preventing the body from effectively protecting against infections. As a result, individuals who are recovering from COVID-19 are at risk for mucormycosis or black fungus. The virus, as part of its replication cycle, suppresses the immune system, so the immune system cannot clear the other bacteria or fungi.
Steroid treatments for COVID-19 may also act to suppress the body’s immune response, contributing to the increased mucormycosis infection rates. In addition, oxygen support for people with severe COVID-19 can cause drying of the nasal cavity and further increase the risk of mucormycosis or black fungus.
How can mucormycosis be treated?
Mucormycosis is a fatal infection and needs to be treated with prescription antifungal medicine. These medicines are given through a vein or by mouth. Often, mucormycosis requires surgery to cut away the infected tissue. . Surgical debridement involves cutting away all the infected tissues. Removing infected tissue has been shown to prevent the infection from spreading further. If left untreated, mucormycosis can be fatal, as it has a mortality rate of 54%.
Is it possible to prevent a mucormycosis infection?
Mucormycosis isn’t contagious, so you can’t catch it from an infected person. Self-care measures are the best way to prevent mucormycosis. If you have a weakened immune system, it’s important to keep yourself safe outdoors. Wearing a mask while and bandaging all wounds until they heal will help prevent fungal infections.
Also consider taking extra precautions during the summer and autumn months, when there’s an increased amount of fungi in the environment.
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