Question: Consider the following statements regarding Mucormycosis which is recently in news:
i) Mucormycosis is infection that can create skin conditions like blisters or ulcers, and the infected area may turn black. Other symptoms include pain, warmth, excessive redness, or swelling around a wound.
ii) It is a Bacterial infection.
iii) It can also compromise immune system of a person, and cause swelling in lungs with other symptoms.
iv) Recently there has been a spike of this infection in Covid 19 recovered patients.
Which of the above is correct?
a) i, ii,ii,iv
b) ii,iii
c)i,iii,iv
d)none of the above.
Answer: c)
Context
- The Gujarat Government recently issued advisory on Fungal infection called “Mucormycosis”.
- Delhi has also seen rise in cases of this infection among covid 19 recovered patients.
Facts
About Mucormycosis
- Mucormycosis (previously called zygomycosis) is a serious but rare fungal infection caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes.
- These molds live in the environment and if ingested can generate the infection.
- Mucormycosis mainly affects people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness i.e. immunocompromised people.
- It has 50% of mortality rate.
- There are different type of Mucormycosis with different symptoms:-
Rhinocerebral (sinus and brain) mucormycosis infects sinus and brain and can cause one-sided facial swelling, Headache,fever and Black lesions on nasal bridge or upper inside of mouth that quickly become more severe.
Pulmonary (lung) mucormycosis includes fever, cough, chest pain , breath shortedness.
Cutaneous (skin) mucormycosis can look like blisters or ulcers, and the infected area may turn black. Other symptoms include pain, warmth, excessive redness, or swelling around a wound.
Gastrointestinal mucormycosis includes abdominal pain, vomiting
Disseminated mucormycosis typically occurs in people who are already sick from other medical conditions.
Mucormycosis And Covid 19
- Mucormycosis is now becoming common among COVID-19 recovered patients. Delhi and Gujarat has seen large number of the cases so far in recovered patients.
- The disease becomes life threatening in already immunocompromised covid 19 recovered patients as it starts infecting the brain. Its rapid spread worsens the condition leading to multiple organ failure. In due process, it damages immunity and makes patients infection-prone.
By – Kameshwar Shukla