What is black fungus and how to prevent it?

Black Fungus: causes, symptoms, and preventions

Black fungus also clinically known as Mucor mycosis is a fungal infection that is caused by a group of fungi called Mucorales. It generally affects the nose, sinuses, eyes, and brain of the patient causing severe damage to these organs. This is not a contagious disease so it does not spread from person to person. It can come in contact through inhaling, consumption of contaminated food, dirty soil, or even by cuts on the skin. Normally people with weak immune systems or poor health conditions like diabetes, cancer, and HIV are the most prone to black fungus. Let’s learn more about its causes, symptoms, prevention(s), and diagnosis of black fungus.

When did Black Fungus start?

The first case of black fungus was reported in 1855, the second in 1876 where it was declared as a lung disease. After following some studies and research this disease was reported in 1943 with severe sinus, brain, and eye problems in connection to diabetes. It is a rare disease that affects less than 1.7 people in the world. However, uncommonly, black fungus cases in India spread 80 times more than in the rest of the world.

How Black fungus is transmitted in the human body? 

Black fungus is not a contagious disease. It does not spread through in-person contact. The fungal spores spread through inhalation from nostrils, eating contaminated food, and touching dirty soil. This dirty soil includes organic material such as manure, rotten fruits, and vegetables (The best habitat for fungal growth). These fungal mould spores can enter through cuts, wounds, eye injury, or open surgery. Black fungus also results due to poor hygiene such as adhesive bandages, hospital clothes, water leaks, poor air filtration, non-sterilized medical devices, and building construction. Black fungus affects the sinuses, lungs, digestive tract, eyes, and brain. If the disease is not treated on time, it can also lead to organ failure. 

People with a weakened immune system (severe diseases like HIV, cancer, diabetes) are more prone to catch black fungus. Also, heavy doses of steroids (as we had seen in the covid patients) results in black fungus. Corticosteroids are generally given in the treatment of covid patients. These steroids are immunosuppressant and increase blood sugar levels that sometimes leads to black fungus development.

Symptoms of Black Fungus

Normally black fungus is located as a respiratory problem causing infection in the sinus. It further includes fever, headache, nasal congestion, discharge, and sinus pain.

While the symptoms are different according to the affected organ (by black fungus) in the body namely: 

1. Sinus and Brain:  Facial swelling, headache, nasal congestion, black marks on the upper nose, blurred vision, fever, and partial paralysis

2. Lungs: Fever, cough, chest pain, shortness of breath 

3. Skin: Blisters on the skin, pain around the infected area, swollen wound

4. Intestines: Abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding

5. Disseminated Mucor-mycosis:  affects largely the brain resulting in coma or severe brain illness.

Black Fungus Diagnosis 

Black fungus is curable if it is detected at an early stage. Following are the diagnostic methods for black fungus treatment.

• Biopsy

• Fungal staining

• Imaging tests

• Surgery

Ways to prevent black fungus

Black fungus can be prevented through the following ways as mentioned below:

• Maintained blood sugar levels

• Limited use of steroids

• Avoid overdose of antibiotic or antifungal depressants especially in diabetic patient

• Proper sterilization and sanitation

• Use of proper disinfected equipment

• Better hygiene

•  Cover your face with mask (Outside)

FAQs

Q. How black fungus is fatal?

Black fungus can be treated if it is detected at an early stage. However, these fungal molds may invade the patient’s internal organs like the brain, lungs, throat, and eyes if not given timely treatment. These affected body parts may be surgically removed if infection is increased above the permissible limit to save the patient’s life. 

Q. How steroids are responsible for black fungus?

Corticosteroids are given to treat severe cases of COVID patients. The heavy doses of these steroids weaken the immune system by reacting to the virus. Also, it does make the patient more vulnerable to any kind of fungi or bacteria that is present in the nearby atmosphere or inside his body. With an immunodeficiency, these fungal spores multiply at a rapid speed thus causing black fungus.  

Q. Which are the best hospitals for black fungus treatment in Delhi?

Following are the best hospitals in India especially allotted for black fungus treatment:

• Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, New Delhi

• Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital. New Delhi

• Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, New Delhi

• Safdarjung, New Delhi

• AIIMS, New Delhi