Mucormycosis

"Mucormycosis is a rare life threatening most dangerous infectious disease having many variants with distinct symptoms namely - black fungus, white fungus, yellow fungus etc. Having high morality (death) rates (40% to 60%)".

White fungus also known as aspergillosis infection caused by aspergillus organisms leaves white symptoms after infection. The best example of it is white fungus on bread.

Yellow fungus most probably is known as candidiasis infection caused by the candida opportunistic organisms leaves Yellowish symptoms after getting infected.

Black fungus disease is also called 'mucormycosis'. Mucorales are saprophytic fungi(meant fungus lives on the dead or decaying organic matters) present everywhere in the air and soil. It causes disease or infection only when there is immunosuppression.

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Mucormycosis is an infection by fungal organisms knows as mucorales /mucormycetes, which can enter the body through breathing or skin injuries. These organisms are typically in abundance in a country like India, and particularly in soil and decaying organic material such as fruits and vegetables but a normally functioning immune system typically fights it off. Because of blackening over nose also called back fungus disease.The reason behind death is the release of toxin named mucoricin.

Immunosuppression means reduction in the activity or efficacy of the immune system.

Symptoms of black fungus: cough, shortness of breath, fever, headache, nasal jam, blackness over nose, eye pain, lack in vision, tooth pain, double vision, vomiting, chest pain, coughing blood, facial pain, swelling are the Symptoms.

How does it causes infection in humans?

Fungal spores are already there in the air everywhere. When these fungal spores reach the sinus through the nose, wounds and sometimes via contaminated food after that, these fungal spores germinates and cause infection which may damage nose and lungs and may also spread to the eyes, if not treated timely. Black fungus is a rare and potential fatal health condition that is surfacing among the recovered Covid-19 patients.

Main reasons behind spread: all diseases tat decreases the efficacy of the immune system are the main causes of spread such as anti-cancerous treatment, immunodeficiency diseases, diabetes, and chronic renal or chronic kidney diseases etc. Mucormycosis needs fertile soil to grow, and high blood glucose levels, lack of oxygen, also contributing towards the growth.

Note — There is a basic difference between these two "black fungus" and "mucormycosis" that is that the black fungus disease is basically caused by the black fungi which have melanin in there cell wall—a black or dark pigment that makes its black while mucormycosis fungal infection is caused by a mucormycetes but generally both are used in same sense.

Remember
Don't be panic, it is a curable and effective treatment are available.Reaching hospitals late in some cases may lead to death. Early diagnosis results in early treatment and consult with physician immediately if symptoms are there any.

Prevention:

maintenance of hygiene
Judicious use of steroids
Early diagnosis
Reduced iron, zinc level
Enhanced immune system by taking natural antibacterial medicine like Neem etc.

The Treatment

It is usually treated with antifungal medicine such as amphotericin-B, posaconazole,or isavuconazole.
If it has spread significantly, mucormycosis requires surgery to cut away the infected tissue, a process known as debridement - which in some cases requires removal of eyes or large parts of tissues.