Mucormycosis: A deadly black fungus infection among COVID-19 patients in India

Choudhary, Naveen; Jain, Amit; Soni, Rupesh; Gahlot, Neha

doi:10.1016/j.cegh.2021.100900

Cited by 24 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…This fungal debris contained the mycelial and spore masses (Figure 6) of the Mucor fungus. Similar fungal structures are also reported in histopathological studies of mucormycosis infection (Figure 7) (Choudhary & Gahlot, 2021).…”

Section: Presence Of Microbes In Nashik City Air At Different Locationssupporting

confidence: 85%

Assessment of Microbial Air Quality of Nashik City with Particular Reference to Mucorales Fungi, and in Vitro Evaluation of Two Triazole Antifungal Drugs against the Prevalent Mucor Species

Borkar¹,

Ajayasree²,

Damale³

2022

EES

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Air pollution particularly that of particulate matter (PM 2.5, PM 2.10), carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, lead, and air microbial contaminants, has serious consequences on human health. Air pollution in metros and cities around the world is measured for the above parameters except for the microbial air contaminants. However, microbial air contaminants are important sources of microbial infection in humans and particularly airborne fungi are known to cause diseases like Aspergillosis and Mucormycosis in immunocompromised patients which are about 160 million in the world.In the year 2021, Mucormycosis disease was reported as a post-covid infection in several states of India as a fatal disease caused by a black fungus (Mucor) prevalent in the atmospheric air. In the present study, we assessed the microbial air quality (colony forming unit of microbes/m3 of air) of Nashik city air, in India, for its microbial contaminant, particularly Mucor sp., and further the prevalent Mucor sp. was evaluated for its reaction to two triazole antifungal drugs viz. Itraconazole and Fluconazole available in medical stores.The air quality index of 90 CFU/tidal volume for Mucor species was regarded as safe, based on the studies. Both the triazole drugs at their active ingredient concentration (1000 µg/mL) were unable to check the growth of Mucor fungi. The paper discussed in detail the methods for enumeration of microbial contaminant/m3 of air and in tidal volume.

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Section: Presence Of Microbes In Nashik City Air At Different Locationssupporting

confidence: 85%

Assessment of Microbial Air Quality of Nashik City with Particular Reference to Mucorales Fungi, and in Vitro Evaluation of Two Triazole Antifungal Drugs against the Prevalent Mucor Species

Borkar¹,

Ajayasree²,

Damale³

2022

EES

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“…Thus, it should always be kept in mind that, in spite of its benefits, it can potentiate invasive mold infections. Sometimes use of immunosuppressants to combat COVID-19 also increases the risk to get infected with mucormycosis (Choudhary, N. K et al,2021) Besides, corticosteroids are known to induce hyperglycemia, which will be in addition to the already present high blood glucose because of undiagnosed diabetes associated with COVID-19 cases (Horby P et al,2021& Hoeningl H et al,2022. It was also documented that patients with severe diabetes and hyperglycemia often exhibited a state of inflammatory process that included constant recruitment and activation of macrophages and neutrophils secreting abundant amount of proinflammatory cytokines and generating persistent inflammation (Morales-Franco B et al, 2021).…”

Section: Therapeutic Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mucormycosis COVID-19 Coinfection

Nayak

2022

IJALSR

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In the recent past, rhino-orbital mucormycosis in people with COVID-19, were reported from many parts of the world. Diabetes mellitus, though, happens to be an independent risk factor both for severe COVID-19 and mucormycosis, administration steroids is attributed as a precipitating factor for acquiring this comorbid condition. Fungal agents causing mucormycosis are highly angioinvasive in nature, as a result of which, clinical outcome of infection is invariably poor, especially with rhinocerebral or rhinoorbitocerebral variety. Effective management depends upon timely and accurate diagnosis, and parenteral administration of amphotericin B. Judicious use of steroids is always recommended. Glycemic control in those who are severely diabetic is advocated. Surgical debridement of the paranasal sinuses and orbital cavities and removal of dead tissue is an essential part of management in order to facilitate faster healing and better penetration of antifungal drugs. Exenteration of eye ball may be indicated, if cavernous sinus and intracranial spread are anticipated.

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“…Patients with severe COVID-19 have also emerged as a population with a high risk of fungal infections [ 11 , 20 ]. There are reports that immunocompromised COVID-19 patients were at a higher risk of development of mysterious fungal infection known as mucormycosis or black fungus [ 21 , 22 ]. Recently other non-Aspergillus fungal coinfections, including mucormycosis in India, have been reported in those with severe COVID-19 pulmonary disease [ 23 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptome analysis reveals increased abundance and diversity of opportunistic fungal pathogens in nasopharyngeal tract of COVID-19 patients

Hoque

Rahman²,

Sarkar

et al. 2023

PLoS ONE

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We previously reported that SARS-CoV-2 infection reduces human nasopharyngeal commensal microbiomes (bacteria, archaea and commensal respiratory viruses) with inclusion of pathobionts. This study aimed to assess the possible changes in the abundance and diversity of resident mycobiome in the nasopharyngeal tract (NT) of humans due to SARS-CoV-2 infections. Twenty-two (n = 22) nasopharyngeal swab samples (including COVID-19 = 8, Recovered = 7, and Healthy = 7) were collected for RNA-sequencing followed by taxonomic profiling of mycobiome. Our analyses indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly increased (p < 0.05, Wilcoxon test) the population and diversity of fungi in the NT with inclusion of a high proportion of opportunistic pathogens. We detected 863 fungal species including 533, 445, and 188 species in COVID-19, Recovered, and Healthy individuals, respectively that indicate a distinct mycobiome dysbiosis due to the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Remarkably, 37% of the fungal species were exclusively associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, where S. cerevisiae (88.62%) and Phaffia rhodozyma (10.30%) were two top abundant species. Likewise, Recovered humans NT samples were predominated by Aspergillus penicillioides (36.64%), A. keveii (23.36%), A. oryzae (10.05%) and A. pseudoglaucus (4.42%). Conversely, Nannochloropsis oceanica (47.93%), Saccharomyces pastorianus (34.42%), and S. cerevisiae (2.80%) were the top abundant fungal species in Healthy controls nasal swabs. Importantly, 16% commensal fungal species found in the Healthy controls were not detected in either COVID-19 patients or when they were cured from COVID-19 (Recovered). We also detected several altered metabolic pathways correlated with the dysbiosis of fungal mycobiota in COVID-19 patients. Our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection causes significant dysbiosis of mycobiome and related metabolic functions possibly play a determining role in the progression of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. These findings might be helpful for developing mycobiome-based diagnostics, and also devising appropriate therapeutic regimens including antifungal drugs for prevention and control of concurrent fungal coinfections in COVID-19 patients.

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Mucormycosis: A deadly black fungus infection among COVID-19 patients in India

Cited by 24 publications

References 51 publications

Assessment of Microbial Air Quality of Nashik City with Particular Reference to Mucorales Fungi, and in Vitro Evaluation of Two Triazole Antifungal Drugs against the Prevalent Mucor Species

Assessment of Microbial Air Quality of Nashik City with Particular Reference to Mucorales Fungi, and in Vitro Evaluation of Two Triazole Antifungal Drugs against the Prevalent Mucor Species

Mucormycosis COVID-19 Coinfection

Transcriptome analysis reveals increased abundance and diversity of opportunistic fungal pathogens in nasopharyngeal tract of COVID-19 patients

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