Some time ago, India repeatedly and twice made headlines in international news. Recently, India has been in trouble again.
On June 4, according to the Indian Express, according to incomplete statistics, there were more than 20,000 cases of mucormycosis in India, and more than 10 regions have listed mucormycosis as an epidemic, with an incidence rate of 80 times the global average. If the production capacity of india's anti-mucormycosis drugs cannot be increased, the gap will reach about 10 million doses / month, and it will be difficult for ordinary people to buy (it is expected to cost tens of thousands of yuan to cure).
In addition, there have been cases of mucormyces in Iraq, Mexico, Chile and Uruguay.
Pictured: Patients with Mucormycosis in India
Mucormycosis is a rare disease with a high mortality rate of about 50%. In order to prevent the spread of mucormycetes in the body, some doctors can only remove the patient's eye to barely save their lives.
Mucormycosis, also known as zygomycosis, is a conditional pathogenic disease caused by a variety of fungi, which has the characteristics of rapid onset, rapid progression and high mortality. Mucormycosis is mainly infected by inhalation of airborne mucormycosis spores, and ingestion or trauma is also a common route of infection.
According to the clinical manifestations, mucormycosis can be divided into 6 types, namely nasoderocystis, lung, disseminated, skin, gastrointestinal and simple central nervous system. Among them, the first 4 are more common and the last 2 are rare.
Nasal mucormycosis
Nasocerebral mucormycosis is infected by inhalation of spores, and is clinically manifested as nasal congestion, purulent nasal discharge, headache, sinus pain, and acute sinusitis with fever, etc. As the disease progresses, symptoms such as pernasal swelling, ophthalmoplegia, vision loss, and erythema of facial skin involved by sinuses will gradually appear.
Pulmonary mucormycosis
Pulmonary mucormycosis is also infected by inhalation of spores, and the clinical manifestations are pneumonia and infarction necrosis.
Gastrointestinal mucormycosis
Gastrointestinal mucormycosis is infected by eating spores, and is clinically manifested as abdominal pain, hemoptysis, and in severe cases, gastrointestinal perforation, peritonitis, intestinal obstruction, hemorrhagic shock and other conditions.
Cutaneous mucormycosis
Skin mucormycosis is infected by spore inoculation into the dermis layer, and the clinical manifestations are skin trauma, pain, induration or plaque, and even suppuration and necrosis, and in severe cases, pustular lesions and tissue necrosis.
Renal mucormycosis
Renal mucormycosis is an infection caused by mycosemia sowing, and the clinical manifestations are unilateral or bilateral renal pain and fever.
Central nervous system (CNS) mucormycosis
Central nervous system (cns) mucormycosis comes from adjacent sinus infections and is clinically manifested as drowsiness and focal neurological deficits.
Disseminated mucormycosis
Disseminated mucormycosis occurs mainly in immunocompromised people, and the clinical manifestations are cough and hemoptysis.
Although mucormycosis is a rare disease, mucormycosis is very common and widely present in nature, and it is indispensable to soil, air, feces, etc. So why is mucormyces everywhere, but most people don't get infected?
It turns out that Mucormyces does not refer to a single fungus, but to a large family of fungi. In this large family, not all members will lead to mucormycosis, Wutong bridge mucormycetes, Muzzyllium humus, total mucormycetes, elegant radial mucormycetes, etc. are the most commonly used mucormycosis species of Milk Saprophyllus in China, which can not only enhance the color and fragrance of humus, but also form a skin film to maintain the shape of curd.
The only "initiators" of mucormycosis are rhizome, mucormycetes and ploughshares, but not everyone can be infected, except for people with low immunity.
When immunity is low, fungal spores in the air are easy to take advantage of the deficiency, causing infections, especially diabetes, blood diseases, malignant tumors, AIDS patients, as well as malnutrition, trauma or burns, deferoxamine treatment, glucocorticoid treatment, injected drugs and other people, is a high-risk group of mucormycosis, should be very vigilant.
According to the analysis, the outbreak of mucormycosis in India is not accidental.
First, the incidence of mucormycosis in India is inherently widespread. According to reports of Mucormycosis in India, the presence of mucormycosis in soil, decaying food, construction sites and even humid environments is well beyond the contamination of products such as hospital sheets, medicines and packaged foods worldwide. Obviously, India's environment is a "hotbed" for the growth of mucormycetes.
Second, the surge in mucormycosis infections in India may be related to steroid use. According to statistics, most patients with mucormycosis are men with potential diabetes, and they are all infected with the new crown, and have used steroids in the treatment of the new crown. Medical experts say that the disproportionate use of steroids in the treatment of the new crown can lead to a suppression of the immune system, leading to a surge in cases of mucormycosis in India.
Mucormycetes belongs to the conjugating fungal subphylum and is extremely difficult to diagnose and treat. Studies have shown that among patients with pulmonary mucormycosis, the mortality rate is as high as 97% in patients who do not do any treatment, the mortality rate is 43% in patients undergoing surgery alone, the mortality rate is 39% in patients undergoing antifungal therapy alone, and the mortality rate in patients undergoing surgery combined with antifungal therapy is 30%.
Although mucormycosis is relatively rare, there are many risk factors around us, and we should still be vigilant. If you are unfortunately infected with mucormycetes, it is necessary to seek medical treatment in time and treat it as soon as possible to avoid more serious consequences.
Resources: [1] Disfigurement, maiming, and even death... Indian COVID-19 patients are shocked by terrible mucormycete infection!.Medical Forum Network. 2021-05-22 [2] Recognize rare mucormycete infections. Tanyin Medicine .2021-02-05 [3] What is the mucorcus that follows the new crown "Fox False Tiger Wei"? 2021-01-12
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