What are the symptoms of black fungus disease?
What are its different types?
What are the treatment options?
What is the expected course of the affected cases?
Answers and more in this report.
Black fungus disease, also known as mucormycosis, is a fungal infection that affects the sinuses, brain, or lungs, and it occurs in some people with weakened immune systems, according to the American National Library of Medicine.
the reasons
Black fungus is caused by different types of fungi that are often found in decaying organic matter. These include spoiled bread, fruits and vegetables, as well as soil and compost piles, and most people come into contact with these fungi at some point.
However, people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get black fungus, and these include people who have one of the following conditions:
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Burns
Diabetes (when blood sugar is not under control)
Leukemia and lymphoma
Long-term use of steroids
Metabolic acidosis
Malnutrition
Use of certain medications
Black fungus may include:
An infection in the sinuses and the brain called rhinocerebral infection, and it may begin with a sinus infection, then lead to swelling of the nerves leaving the brain, and it may also cause blood clots that block the blood vessels to the brain.
Lung infection, called pulmonary mucormycosis, and pneumonia worsens rapidly and may spread to the chest cavity, heart, and brain.
Other parts of the body, such as mycosis of the gastrointestinal tract mucosa, skin, and kidneys.
Symptoms
Symptoms of nasal-cerebral black fungus include:
Swollen and protruding eyes
Dark scales in the nasal cavities
Fever
a headache
Changed mental state
Redness of the skin over the sinuses
Sinus pain or congestion
Symptoms of black lung fungus include:
cough
Sometimes coughing up blood
Fever
Shortness of breath
Symptoms of gastro-intestinal black fungus include:
Stomach ache
Blood in the stool
Diarrhea
Vomiting blood
Symptoms of black fungus in the kidney (nephrotoxic) include:
Fever
Pain in the upper abdomen or back
Symptoms of the black dermatophyte fungus include one area, sometimes painful, and stiff, and the center may be black in color.
treatment
According to the American National Library of Medicine, surgery should be performed immediately to remove all dead and infected tissue.
And surgery can lead to disfigurement.
It may involve removing the palate, parts of the nose, or parts of the eye.
Without this surgery, however, the chances of survival are greatly reduced.
An antifungal drug, usually amphotericin B, is also given intravenously. After the infection is controlled, the patient may be switched to a different drug such as posaconazole or isavuconazole.
And if a person has diabetes, it is important for the blood sugar level to reach a normal range.
What is the disease warning?
(Expected progression of affected cases)
Black fungus patients have a very high mortality rate, even when surgery is performed, and the risk of death depends on the affected area of the body and the overall health of the casualty.
Possible complications
Blindness (if the optic nerve is injured)
Thrombosis or blockage of blood vessels in the brain or lung
Nerve damage
the death
Egypt allocates rooms to isolate black fungus patients
Yesterday, Wednesday, the Egyptian Ministry of Health announced the allocation of rooms to isolate people with black fungus, for the first time in the country.
This came according to a televised statement by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in Matrouh Governorate (west) Muhammad Ali, on Wednesday evening, in conjunction with the outbreak of anxiety and controversy towards the disease in popular circles.
Although Egypt has not officially announced the existence of black fungus infections, there are reports of two cases of the disease being diagnosed, and that it was the cause of the death of the famous Egyptian artist, Samir Ghanem, on May 20.
Muhammad Ali told the "Echo of the Country" satellite channel that we received instructions from the Ministry of Health to allocate isolation rooms for black fungus patients, as a precaution in anticipation of the emergence of disease.
He added that the black fungus disease appears with a decrease in immunity, the use of antibiotics and the use of cortisone in large quantities, but no black fungus infections have been detected in Egypt since the beginning of the Corona virus.
Ali explained that the Ministry of Health will announce a treatment protocol to deal with people infected with the black fungus, in the event that the disease appears in the country.
A week ago, Hossam - the brother of the late Egyptian artist Samir Ghanem - announced in televised statements that the cause of the death of his brother was black fungus, which sparked controversy and concern in the country.
Last Saturday, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Khaled Mujahid, said - in televised statements - that there is no need for panic, panic and intimidation from the black fungus disease, in response to the statement of the head of the scientific committee to combat the Corona virus, Hussam Hosni, that he had diagnosed two cases of this disease.
Corona pandemic
Experts said that the increased use of certain drugs in the Covid-19 pandemic to suppress the immune system may be the reason for the increase in black fungus cases, according to Reuters.
And data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the death rate from black fungus is 54%, and this percentage may vary depending on the condition of patients and the affected organ.
Is black fungus contagious?
This disease is not contagious, which means that it cannot be spread through human contact with each other or with animals, but it is spread through fungal spores circulating in the air or in the environment, and it is almost impossible to avoid them.
Narayana Nitralaya Eye Specialist Hospital chief K.
Bojang Shetty "Bacteria and fungi are already in our bodies, but the body's immune system restricts them."
"When the immune system collapses due to cancer and diabetes treatments, or the use of steroids, these microorganisms gain the upper hand and multiply."
Can the use of oxygen cylinders or non-sterile respirators spread the black fungus?
It's hard to say.
Experts say unsanitary conditions can increase the risk of infection spreading.
"There is a great deal of contamination in the tubes used for oxygen, the cylinders that are being used and the humidifiers used," says an ophthalmologist at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai, Nishant Kumar.
However, opinions are divided on this issue.
As S.
B.
Calantri, a researcher physician at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Maharashtra state, "We need epidemiological studies to assess the reasons for the increase in these cases now."
Why black fungus and not any other fungal infection?
Covid-19 disease has been linked to infection with a large number of bacteria and fungi, but experts say that the second wave of Covid-19 in India has created an ideal environment for the black fungus.
In the journal Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, researchers wrote in the journal Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews - according to Reuters - that low oxygen, diabetes, elevated iron levels, and immunodeficiency, and in combination with several other factors including length The period of stay in the hospital on automatic breathing machines; Create an ideal environment for the black fungus.