Mucormycosis in COVID- 19 Patients Poses a Challenge to Public Health

Abstract

Mucormycosis is an emerging and re-emerging mycosis that is reported from many countries of the world including India. The disease is caused by filamentous fungi that belonged to the genus Absidia, Cunninghamella, Mucor, Rhizomucor, and Rhizopus. These fungi are widely prevalent in our environment, and have the potential to invade any organ of the body including the sinuses, lung, brain, heart, kidney, joint and others. The source of infection is exogenous, and the respiratory tract is considered as the prime portal of entry of the fungi. Mucormycosis can occur in sporadic as well as in epidemic form. The maximum cases of mucormycosis are caused by Rhizopus oryzae. Globally, disease due to Rhizopus oryzae affects over 10,000 persons each year. The recent pandemic of COVID-19 has posed a great challenge to the public health authorities. Mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients are reported from India, and also other nations. Rhino-orbital-cerebral form of mucormycosis is frequently encountered in clinical setting throughout the world. Diabetes mellitus and steroid therapy are the most important risk factors that predispose the patients to mucormycosis. The laboratory help is imperative to confirm an unequivocal diagnosis of disease. Liposomal amphotericin-B and posaconazole are the antifungal drugs that are recommended for the treatment of mucormycosis the patients