Indore: Two people have died due to the black fungal infection as their brain was affected, Dr. Shweta Walia, Designated Professor, Eye Department, Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital, Indore said. She further added that total 13 patients have been detected with this infection here so far in the state.
Mucormycosis, better known as Black Fungus infection, has been reported in many COVID-19 survivors, mainly from Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat. While the symptoms have already raised eyebrows and added to the panic basket, it does not affect everyone. So who should worry about it? Here’s what you need to know.
Mucormycosis or Black Fungus is a serious but rare fungal infection due to a rare killer fungus called Mucor which exists in the environment, often found on wet surfaces. It is seen in the form of blackish moulds. People get mucormycosis by coming in contact with the fungal spores in the environment. The fungus causes the disease that has now been linked to the airborne COVID-19 infection. The infection first came to light during the first ‘wave’ of the pandemic. It was previously known as zygomycosis.
Black Fungus generally affects COVID-19 recovered patients who have other comorbidities like diabetes, kidney or heart failure, cancer as well as patients who are on steroids or have had a transplant. However, it is most common in diabetic patients, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States