Cases of ‘Black Fungus’ are on the rise across India. Gujarat, with 100 cases, has reported the highest number of confirmed cases, with Surat accounting for 40 cases in 15 days. Maharashtra follows with 52 deaths; the health minister Rajesh Tope says there could be 2,000 unconfirmed cases in the state. Others, like Rajasthan, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, too, are reporting a number of cases.
Also known as Mucormycosis, it is a fatal fungal infection that may occur in people who come in contact with a fungus called mucormycetes; the mould is ubiquitously found in nature and live throughout the environment. Immuno-compromised people receiving medical treatment for health problems are prone to contracting the infection. The infection is known to have a fatality rate of 50 per cent, which increases with underlying health complications.
Mucormycosis is considered rare in normal conditions, but the deadly infection is surging amidst COVID-19 patients. The infection has been related to COVID patients due to lower immunity from the sickness itself and due to the use of glucocorticoids like dexamethasone to reduce lung inflammation during its treatment.
-30-
Copyright©Madras Courier, All Rights Reserved. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from madrascourier.com and redistribute by email, post to the web, mobile phone or social media.Please send in your feed back and comments to editor@madrascourier.com
