Generic placeholder image

Coronaviruses

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 2666-7967
ISSN (Online): 2666-7975

Mini-Review Article

Mucormycosis: A Serious Catastrophe Involving COVID-19 Patients

Author(s): Neha Dangi, Himanshu Mehendiratta and Shikha Sharma*

Volume 4, Issue 2, 2023

Published on: 22 August, 2023

Article ID: e010823219319 Pages: 6

DOI: 10.2174/2666796704666230801092541

Price: $65

conference banner
Abstract

With the global pandemic, COVID-19, spurred on by the "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)," India has been greatly impacted. With a rare fungus known as Mucormycosis, the second wave of COVID-19 significantly impacted the Indian population after the initial phase. Mucormycosis is also known as "black fungus" because of the necrosis of infected skin tissue, which causes it to become black. It is caused by Mucoromycetes, members of the Zygomycetes order and the Mucorales class. COVID-19's effects on various comorbid ailments, such as diabetes, heart problems, and immune-compromised states, range from mild to severe to life-threatening. Mucormycosis moulds are more likely to affect patients who have hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, solid organ or bone marrow transplantation, liver cirrhosis, or neutropenia. To eliminate Mucormycosis, four primary variables must be addressed: early diagnosis, eradication of predisposing factors, prompt antifungal treatment with surgical removal of all diseased tissues, and adjuvant therapies. Here, the present review discusses the clinical aetiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and therapy for black fungus. The study leads to the conclusion that the use of immunosuppressant medication to combat COVID-19 also elevates the possibility of being infected with mucormycotic.

Graphical Abstract

[1]
Ramteke S, Sahu BL. Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: Considerations for the biomedical waste sector in India. Case Stud Chem Environ Eng 2020; 2: 100029.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cscee.2020.100029]
[2]
World health orgnization https://covid19.who.int/
[3]
Gandhi RT, Lynch JB, del Rio C. Mild or moderate COVID-19. N Engl J Med 2020; 383(18): 1757-66.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMcp2009249] [PMID: 32329974]
[4]
Apicella M, Campopiano MC, Mantuano M, Mazoni L, Coppelli A, Prato SD. COVID-19 in people with diabetes: Understanding the reasons for worse outcomes. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2020; 8: 782-92.
[5]
Salehi M, Ahmadikia K, Badali H, Khodavaisy S. Opportunistic fungal infections in the epidemic area of COVID-19: A clinical and diagnostic perspective from Iran. Mycopathologia 2020; 185(4): 607-11.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11046-020-00472-7] [PMID: 32737746]
[6]
Chowdhary A, Tarai B, Singh A, Sharma A. Multidrug-resistant Candida auris infections in critically Ill coronavirus disease patients, India, April–July 2020. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 26(11): 2694-6.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2611.203504] [PMID: 32852265]
[7]
Mucormycosis.
[8]
Skiada A, Pavleas I, Drogari-Apiranthitou M. Epidemiology and diagnosis of mucormycosis: An update. J Fungi 2020; 6(4): 265.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jof6040265] [PMID: 33147877]
[9]
Chao CM, Lai CC, Yu WL. COVID-19 associated mucormycosis – An emerging threat. J Microbiol Immunol Infect 2022; 55(2): 183-90.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmii.2021.12.007] [PMID: 35074291]
[10]
Steinbrink JM, Miceli MH. Mucormycosis. Infect Dis Clin North Am 2021; 35(2): 435-52.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.idc.2021.03.009] [PMID: 34016285]
[11]
Ahmadikia K, Hashemi SJ, Khodavaisy S, et al. The double‐edged sword of systemic corticosteroid therapy in viral pneumonia: A case report and comparative review of influenza‐associated mucormycosis versus COVID-19 associated mucormycosis. Mycoses 2021; 64(8): 798-808.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/myc.13256] [PMID: 33590551]
[12]
Cornely OA, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Arenz D, et al. Global guideline for the diagnosis and management of mucormycosis: An initiative of the european confederation of medical mycology in cooperation with the mycoses study group education and research consortium. Lancet Infect Dis 2019; 19(12): e405-21.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30312-3] [PMID: 31699664]
[13]
Rahman FI, Islam MR, Bhuiyan MA. Mucormycosis or black fungus infection is a new scare in South Asian countries during the COVID-19 pandemic: Associated risk factors and preventive measures. J Med Virol 2021; 93(12): 6447-8.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jmv.27207] [PMID: 34260073]
[14]
Choudhary NK, Jain AK, Soni R, Gahlot N. Mucormycosis: A deadly black fungus infection among COVID-19 patients in India. Clin Epidemiol Glob Health 2021; 12: 100900.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2021.100900] [PMID: 34746515]
[15]
Zhou Q, Chen V, Shannon CP, et al. Interferon-α2b treatment for COVID-19. Front Immunol 2020; 11: 1061.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01061] [PMID: 32574262]
[16]
Song P, Li W, Xie J, Hou Y, You C. Cytokine storm induced by SARS-CoV-2. Clin Chim Acta 2020; 509: 280-7.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2020.06.017] [PMID: 32531256]
[17]
Shang Y, Pan C, Yang X, et al. Management of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in ICU: Statement from front-line intensive care experts in Wuhan, China. Ann Intensive Care 2020; 10(1): 73.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13613-020-00689-1] [PMID: 32506258]
[18]
Greene JN, Pak J, Tucci VT, Vincent AL, Sandin RL. Mucormycosis in immunochallenged patients. J Emerg Trauma Shock 2008; 1(2): 106-13.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0974-2700.42203] [PMID: 19561989]
[19]
Chander J. 26. Mucormycosis. In: Textbook of Medical Mycology. (4th ed.). New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers Ltd. 2018; pp. 534-96.
[20]
Symptoms of Mucormycosis. www.cdc.gov 2022.
[21]
Rhino-orbital Cerebral Mucormycosis. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls 2022.
[22]
Mohammadi R, Ahmadikia K, Chamola V, et al. COVID-19-associated mucormycosis: A review of an emergent epidemic fungal infection in the era of COVID-19 pandemic. J Res Med Sci 2022; 27(1): 57.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/jrms.jrms_1090_21] [PMID: 36092491]
[23]
Kumar M, Sarma DK, Shubham S, et al. Mucormycosis in COVID-19 pandemic: Risk factors and linkages. Curr Res Microb Sci 2021; 2: 100057.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crmicr.2021.100057] [PMID: 34396355]
[24]
Chamilos G, Lewis RE, Kontoyiannis DP. Delaying amphotericin B-based frontline therapy significantly increases mortality among patients with hematologic malignancy who have zygomycosis. Clin Infect Dis 2008; 47(4): 503-9.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/590004] [PMID: 18611163]
[25]
Walsh TJ, Gamaletsou MN, McGinnis MR, Hayden RT, Kontoyiannis DP. Early clinical and laboratory diagnosis of invasive pulmonary, extrapulmonary, and disseminated mucormycosis (zygomycosis). Clin Infect Dis 2012; 54(S1): S55-60.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/cir868] [PMID: 22247446]
[26]
Lackner M, Caramalho R, Lass-Flörl C. Laboratory diagnosis of mucormycosis: current status and future perspectives. Future Microbiol 2014; 9(5): 683-95.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.2217/fmb.14.23] [PMID: 24957094]
[27]
Skiada A, Lass-Floerl C, Klimko N, Ibrahim A, Roilides E, Petrikkos G. Challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of mucormycosis. Med Mycol 2018; 56(S1): S93-S101.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mmy/myx101] [PMID: 29538730]
[28]
Schwarz P, Guedouar H, Laouiti F, Grenouillet F, Dannaoui E. Identification of mucorales by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. J Fungi 2019; 5(3): 56.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jof5030056] [PMID: 31269718]
[29]
Kontoyiannis DP, Lewis RE. How I treat mucormycosis. Blood 2011; 118(5): 1216-24.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood-2011-03-316430] [PMID: 21622653]
[30]
Bialek R, Konrad F, Kern J, et al. PCR based identification and discrimination of agents of mucormycosis and aspergillosis in paraffin wax embedded tissue. J Clin Pathol 2005; 58(11): 1180-4.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jcp.2004.024703] [PMID: 16254108]
[31]
Rickerts V, Just-Nübling G, Konrad F, et al. Diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis in immunocompromised patients by seminested PCR assay of tissue samples. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2006; 25(1): 8-13.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10096-005-0078-7] [PMID: 16416267]
[32]
Lackner N, Posch W, Lass-Flörl C. Microbiological and molecular diagnosis of mucormycosis: From old to new. Microorganisms 2021; 9(7): 1518.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9071518] [PMID: 34361953]
[33]
Ribes JA, Vanover-Sams CL, Baker DJ. Zygomycetes in human disease. Clin Microbiol Rev 2000; 13(2): 236-301.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/CMR.13.2.236] [PMID: 10756000]
[34]
Nithyanandam S, Jacob MS, Battu RR, Thomas RK, Correa MA, D’Souza O. Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis. A retrospective analysis of clinical features and treatment outcomes. Indian J Ophthalmol 2003; 51(3): 231-6.
[PMID: 14601848]
[35]
Mori T, Egashira M, Kawamata N, et al. Zygomycosis: two case reports and review of reported cases in the literature in Japan Journal of the Japan Restoration Society 2003; 44(3): 163-79.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3314/jjmm.44.163] [PMID: 12913805]
[36]
Khor BS, Lee MH, Leu HS, Liu JW. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis in Taiwan. J Microbiol Immunol Infect 2003; 36(4): 266-9.
[PMID: 14723256]
[37]
Tissot F, Agrawal S, Pagano L, et al. ECIL-6 guidelines for the treatment of invasive candidiasis, aspergillosis and mucormycosis in leukemia and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. Haematologica 2017; 102(3): 433-44.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.3324/haematol.2016.152900] [PMID: 28011902]
[38]
Rybak JM, Marx KR, Nishimoto AT, Rogers PD. Isavuconazole: Pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, and current clinical experience with a new triazole antifungal agent. Pharmacotherapy 2015; 35(11): 1037-51.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/phar.1652] [PMID: 26598096]
[39]
Marty FM, Ostrosky-Zeichner L, Cornely OA, et al. Isavuconazole treatment for mucormycosis: A single-arm open-label trial and case-control analysis. Lancet Infect Dis 2016; 16(7): 828-37.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(16)00071-2] [PMID: 26969258]
[40]
Wiederhold N. Pharmacokinetics and safety of posaconazole delayed-release tablets for invasive fungal infections. Clin Pharmacol 2015; 8: 1-8.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/CPAA.S60933] [PMID: 26730212]
[41]
Reed C, Bryant R, Ibrahim AS, et al. Combination polyene-caspofungin treatment of rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis. Clin Infect Dis 2008; 47(3): 364-71.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/589857] [PMID: 18558882]
[42]
Spellberg B, Edwards J Jr, Ibrahim A. Novel perspectives on mucormycosis: Pathophysiology, presentation, and management. Clin Microbiol Rev 2005; 18(3): 556-69.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/CMR.18.3.556-569.2005] [PMID: 16020690]
[43]
Gebremariam T, Lin L, Liu M, et al. Bicarbonate correction of ketoacidosis alters host-pathogen interactions and alleviates mucormycosis. J Clin Invest 2016; 126(6): 2280-94.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1172/JCI82744] [PMID: 27159390]
[44]
Datta S, Sarkar I, Sen G, Sen A. Neem and turmeric in the management of COVID associated mucormycosis (CAM) derived through network pharmacology. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 41(8): 3281-94.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07391102.2022.2048077] [PMID: 35253616]

Rights & Permissions Print Cite
© 2024 Bentham Science Publishers | Privacy Policy