By Satyaki Paul
Aetiology : The Black Fungus is also known as Mucormycosis(formerly Zygomycosis) which is a rare fungal infection caused by Murcormycetes. These moulds are spread throughout the environment and it mostly affects individuals who have lower immune strength (due to diabetes) and is under prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) under some disease related circumstances. This fungus mostly affects the lungs after inhaling the spores from the air or through skin by a cut, wound, etc. Thus, this disease can take place in any part of the human body.
Individuals at risk : Individuals who are suffering from diabetes, cancer, organ transplant, hospitalized or recuperating COVID19 patients (who are treated with steroids and other inflammatory drugs) are mostly at risk of contracting this fungus.
Symptoms : The symptoms of the rhinocerebral (affecting sinus and brain) fungus are: One-sided face swelling, Headache, Nasal/Sinus congestion, Black lesion on nasal bridge and Fever. The symptoms of pulmonary (lung) fungus are: Fever, Chest pain, Breathlessness and Cough. And, the symptoms for cutaneous (skin) fungus are: Nausea, Vomiting, Internal bleeding and Abdominal cramps. Furthermore, there is a disseminated form of fungus which takes place among individuals who are sick from various medical conditions. These patients can also develop severe problems which might send them in a stage of coma.
Prevention : Individuals should properly wear mask, maintain personal hygiene and should steadily monitor one’s blood glucose level (if they are diabetic).
Treatment : In some cases, surgery may be required which would be later redressed through prostheses. While in most cases, individuals are given normal saline (IV) infusion before 4 to 6 weeks of antifungal Amphotericin B dose (3 to 4mg per kg of body weight per day).
The author works as a Ph.D. Research Scholar at the Department of Anthropology, University of Calcutta, and the co-author of the book Anthropology For All (2021).