Black fungus
Black fungus is a rare but very serious fungal infection that affects the nose, sinuses, lungs, eyes and sometimes the brain. It is found in the soil and is associated with decaying organic matter such as manure, vegetables and fruit. It gets its name from the black lesions it causes on the mouth and nose, and is officially named mucormycosis, or previously zygomycosis.
It's come to prominence recently owing to an association with COVID-19 infection, especially in patients who contracted the virus in India. Small outbreaks of black fungus can also occur in certain groups of people such as those who have had an organ transplant.
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Who does it affect?
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms depend on where the fungus has taken hold and started to cause harm. In the lungs it causes cough, fever and shortness of breath – often similar to COVID-19 symptoms. In the sinuses and brain, it causes facial swelling, headache, nose congestion, fevers and black lesions on the nose or mouth, which give it its name. In some cases where the infection is in the tissues of the eye, it may be necessary to remove the eyeball to save the infection from spreading.
How is it treated?
The treatment is with antifungal medication such as amphotericin B, posaconazole, or isavuconazole. This can be given either via an intravenous drip directly into the vein or tablets by mouth. The treatment usually needs to last for many weeks to ensure the fungus is adequately treated and will not come back at a later date. The treatment also may involve surgery to cut away tissue that is too badly affected by the infection.
Why is it in the news?
When large numbers of patients with COVID-19 were admitted to the hospital in India, one of the evidence-based treatments for severe COVID was shown to be high-dose steroids. This in turn led to a large number of patients receiving steroids, and it was this that seemed to trigger higher numbers of black fungus cases.
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