A lot is currently being reported about the disease “black fungus” in connection with corona infections. Infection is usually very rare and not a threat to healthy people. An overview of the most important information.
“Black fungus” infections are usually extremely rare and are most likely to be seen among people with compromised immune systems. In India, which has been particularly hard hit by Corona, the infections have recently increased – thousands of people fell ill. In the state of Maharashtra alone, more than 1200 people have died from it, according to “The Indian Express”.
Mucormycosis cases in connection with Covid-19 diseases are also reported elsewhere in the world, for example in Bolivia or Iraq. What is known about the causes? And what factors contribute to an infection? An overview.
What do we know about the causative agent of the disease?
According to the US health protection agency CDC, a certain group of molds – fungi of the so-called order Mucorales – causes the disease. Mucorales occur worldwide and live naturally in the environment, especially in soil and decomposing organic matter such as leaves. The pathogens can also be found in compost heaps or rotten wood.
Most species of these fungi are “completely harmless” to humans, according to the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology. Only a few of them could lead to an infection in people with a correspondingly bad health.
How do infections occur?
Through contact with the pathogens: People can inhale the spores of the fungi or, in rare cases, they penetrate the body through injured skin areas. The good news is that the immune system of healthy people is able to fight off the infection.
However, it can happen that the body’s own defenses are weakened – for example due to drugs that suppress the immune system or due to certain serious illnesses. In rare cases, an infection can then occur.
Are there people who are particularly at risk?
The few mucormycosis infections that exist are mainly found in people with a weakened or suppressed immune system. Cancer patients or people who have received an organ donation or a stem cell donation can sometimes be affected. Premature babies or people who are deficient in certain white blood cells are also at increased risk. Serious injuries, malnutrition, diabetes, or prolonged treatment with cortisone supplements can also make patients more susceptible to infection. Cortisone is one of many active substances from the group of glucocorticosteroids. The preparations are mainly used for inflammatory diseases and weaken the immune system.
Is the Infection Contagious?
No. According to the CDC, the infection cannot be transmitted from person to person. Transmission between humans and animals is also ruled out.
What are the symptoms?
The infection usually manifests itself as black spots that form on the nose or in the mouth and that quickly grow in size. The threatening appearance has earned the infection the name “black fungus”. Those affected can also develop swelling in the face, and complain of a fever and headache.
In principle, the infection can also affect other parts of the body – such as the skin, the lungs or the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms can vary depending on the area of the body affected.
How common are infections?
The infection is usually a rarity, especially in western countries. In the USA, the CDC is investigating according to its own information, using data from the 1990s, the agency estimates that the incidence is around 1.7 cases per million people per year.
How dangerous is black fungus infection?
When the rare disease occurs, it progresses quickly and is very aggressive – countermeasures must be initiated early. The therapy consists, among other things, of removing infected and dead tissue. Sick people can sometimes lose parts of their face. Patients also receive antimycotics – agents that fight fungal infections.
The mortality rate is still very high and, according to the CDC, is around 54 percent.
If the disease is not new and so rare, why is there so much currently being reported about it?
The cases of the disease have recently increased in India, while many people have contracted the coronavirus at the same time. The case is also updated
The fact that the infection is currently being observed more frequently is not due to the fact that the molds spread or occur more frequently, but rather to the growing number of seriously ill Covid patients who are susceptible to the pathogen. Severe corona courses are treated with steroids, including cortisone. Studies have shown that these drugs can significantly reduce the mortality of Covid sufferers.
However, if steroids are used improperly, side effects can result – for example, the risk of further infections can increase if the immune system is suppressed for a long period of time. “People have started to use them abundantly, excessively and inappropriately,” said Srinath Reddy of the Public Health Foundation of India, quoted by the “.
In addition, the mucormycosis rate in India was comparatively high even before the corona pandemic, with an estimated 140 people per million inhabitants. This is probably due to the high rate of diabetes in the country – the disease is a risk factor for the infection. A recently published study also came to the result that 94 percent of the Covid 19 patients examined, who were also infected with the “black fungus”, also suffered from diabetes. An unfavorable constellation of several factors probably plays a role.
What other factors favor diseases with the “black fungus”?
Most diseases with the “black fungus” occur sporadically. However, there can also be local clusters, for example as a result of natural disasters and associated trauma. Infections are sometimes also acquired in clinics due to poor hygiene, which can be a problem especially in countries with poor medical care. Poor air filtration or contaminated buildings are considered possible triggers.
// with DPA information
