“A typically rare fungal infection called mucormycosis has surged in India recently, primarily affecting people recovering from COVID-19.
Experts say this type of fungal infection is extremely rare and that it may be affecting people whose immune systems have been damaged by the coronavirus.
Experts say the use of steroid drugs in these patients may partially explain some of the surge, while the immune-compromised state of COVID-19 patients could explain others.”
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HEALTH NEWS
‘Black Fungus’ Is Appearing in People with COVID-19: What to Know
Written by George Citroner on May 14, 2021 — Fact checked by Dana K. Cassell
A rare type of fungal infection has been reported in people with COVID-19 in India. Jit Chattopadhyay/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
A typically rare fungal infection called mucormycosis has surged in India recently, primarily affecting people recovering from COVID-19.
Experts say this type of fungal infection is extremely rare and that it may be affecting people whose immune systems have been damaged by the coronavirus.
Experts say the use of steroid drugs in these patients may partially explain some of the surge, while the immune-compromised state of COVID-19 patients could explain others.
Even as India struggles to contain a deadly surge of COVID-19, doctors are now reporting cases of a rare infection called the “black fungus,” occurring among people recovering from the disease.
The fungal infection is increasingly being seen in vulnerable patients in India, as the country’s health system struggles to save lives during the pandemic.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, this black fungus infection is called mucormycosis and is caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes that typically live in soil and decaying organic matter.
The infection can be life threatening and has a mortality rate between 46–96 percent depending on severity.
What to know about mucormycosis
“Mucormycosis is a rare, invasive, fungal opportunistic infection that causes serious, sometimes fatal disease,” Dr. K.C. Rondello, epidemiologist and special adviser to the Office of University Health and Wellness at Adelphi University, told Healthline.
He explained that those most at risk for mucormycosis have compromised immune systems that make them susceptible to fungal and other opportunistic infections.
“This includes individuals who are currently fighting or have recently recovered from COVID-19 disease,” said Rondello.
Over the last 10 years, doctors have only seen a handful of mucormycosis cases in India, reported USA Today.
This past month, however, tens of thousands of cases have been reported, Dr. Bhakti Hansoti, associate professor in the department of emergency medicine and international health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told USA today.
“We’ve seen this skyrocket in recent weeks,” she said. “It consumes a lot of resources especially during this pandemic right now in India where healthcare resources are stretched at the limit.”
Symptoms of mucormycosis
Mucormycosis can affect different parts of the body, showing different sets of symptoms, according to the CDC.
If the infection grows in the sinuses and brain (rhinocerebral mucormycosisTrusted Source), symptoms include fever, one-sided facial swelling, headache, and nasal or sinus congestion.
If your lungs are affected by the fungus, you can experience cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
When mucormycosis attacks the digestive system, you may experience abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and gastrointestinal bleeding.
“It’s an environmental mold, which once it infects you, is very morbid and has a high mortality,” said Dr. Eric Cioe-Peña, director of Global Health at Northwell Health in New York. “Because the infection is so rare, the exact mortality rate isn’t clear. But researchers estimate that overall, 54 percent of people with mucormycosis die.”
He added that people with COVID-19 theoretically could be at higher risk due to an immune reaction, or inflammation locally in the sinus tract. Cioe-Peña confirmed the fungus isn’t normally contagious.