A state of anxiety has spread in Egypt about the emergence of the black fungus disease, after the brother of the late Egyptian artist Samir Ghanem said that he had contracted the black fungus in his eyes.

What did the health authorities say about the subject?

What are the latest data on Arab countries about the black fungus?

The answers are in this comprehensive report.

The black fungus "black fungus" - also known as "mucormycosis" - is a fungal infection that causes blackening or discoloration of the skin around the nose, and affects the patient with poor or double vision, chest pain, breathing difficulties and coughing With blood.

This disease is closely related to diabetes and conditions of a weak immune system.

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 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 the patients and the affected physical organ.

In recent weeks, states across India have reported more than 5,000 cases of the rare disease, most of them in individuals with or recovering from COVID-19.

What is the response of the health authorities?

Several media outlets, including Russia Today and Sputnik, had quoted Hussam Ghanem, brother of the late Samir Ghanem, bypassing the comedian, Corona, and his severe kidney failure, and his infection with the "black fungus" disease in his eyes.

The artist's brother pointed out that this disease "is one of the worst things that a person is exposed to."

Later, media outlets quoted Dr. Mohamed Abdel Fattah, head of the Central Administration for Preventive Medicine Affairs at the Ministry of Health, as saying that everything reported about the spread of the black fungus in the country is untrue.

For his part, Khaled Mujahid, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said in televised statements on Saturday evening, "There is no need for panic, panic and intimidation," without explaining whether there are cases of fungus or not, according to Anadolu Agency.

But Hussam Hosni (head of the scientific committee to confront the Corona virus) said that he had diagnosed two cases with this disease, "but the matter had nothing to do with the Corona virus."

He confirmed during a telephone interview with the "Honorable Citizen" program on the "Al-Hadath Al-Youm" satellite channel (especially Egyptian) that "a cure for this fungus is completely available in Egypt."

During the past two days, Ministry of Health officials denied that there were cases in the country infected with "black fungus", according to local media.

Al-Ahram newspaper published - according to the official Middle East News Agency, today, the confirmation of Dr. Muhammad Awad Tajuddin, advisor to the President of the Republic for Health Affairs, that no cases of black fungus were detected or appearing, whether among patients with the emerging Corona virus or those who recovered from it.

Saudi Health denies

The Saudi Ministry of Health confirmed on Sunday that it had not detected any cases of "black fungus" in the Kingdom.

In a press conference, Mohamed Al-Abd Al-Aali, a spokesman for the ministry, stressed that there was no connection between the black fungus and the Corona virus, stressing that no cases of black fungus were detected among those infected with the Coronavirus inside the Kingdom, according to the German News Agency.

He also said - during the Corona developments conference - that some people believe that the black fungus is a strain, type, or related to the Corona virus, "and this is not true." An opportunistic infection case.

Opportunistic infection - as Al-Ali explains - means that a person suffers from a chronic disease and late complications that cause him disruption and dysfunction in the body's immunity significantly in late stages, and infects him with additional disease over the underlying disease he has, and the health condition deteriorates as a result.

In Bahrain, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Abdullah Mufreh Asiri said, "What is rumored about black fungus infections linked to Covid-19 in the Kingdom of Bahrain is incorrect," according to Anadolu Agency.

He explained, in a press statement, that "the black fungus is spread among people with severe diseases, and it has no direct relationship with Corona."

For his part, Dr. Amin Fawzi Selim, a specialist in medical biology in Tunisia, confirmed that the country has not recorded cases of the "black fungus" disease that recently appeared in India, confirming that his country has sufficient stocks of drugs to combat this disease, according to the Middle East News Agency.

"This germ feeds on human skin, and it may reach the eye and brain and lead to strong symptoms on the patient and may lead to death, but for those who suffer from a deficiency of immunity," Salim said in a statement to Tunisian Radio FM.

Is it contagious?

The black fungus is not contagious, which means that it cannot be spread through human contact with each other or animals.

But it is spread through fungal spores in the air or in the environment, and is virtually impossible to avoid.

K.

Bojang Shetty, head of Narayana Nitralaya Eye Specialist Hospital, "Bacteria and fungi are already present in our bodies, but the body's immune system restricts them."

"When the immune system collapses due to cancer treatments, diabetes, or the use of steroids, these microorganisms gain the upper hand and multiply."

Do unsterilized devices cause the black fungus to spread?

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 Nishant Kumar, an ophthalmologist at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai.

However, opinions are divided on this issue.

As S.B.

Calantree, a research physician at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Maharashtra state, "Hospitals were filthy even before April. We need epidemiological studies to assess the reasons for the increase in these cases now," according to Reuters.

Why is this disease and not any other fungal infection?

The disease "Covid-19" has been linked to infection with a large number of bacteria and fungi, but experts say that the second "Covid-19" wave in India has created an ideal environment for the black fungus.

Researchers in the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews wrote - according to Reuters - that low oxygen, diabetes, high iron levels, and immunodeficiency, are associated with several other factors, including the length of stay in the hospital on respirators. This creates an ideal environment for the black fungus.