Black Fungus in India & Eye Health

Black fungus, medically known as mucormycosis can impact various parts of the body including the eyes. The infection was much talked about post Covid. It is a type of fungal infection and could impact individuals who have weakened immune systems. Moreover it became a major concern during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The fungus in the eyes could cause permanent vision loss if not checked in the initial stage of the disease. During the peak of the COVID-19 in May 2021 there were around 12,000 black fungus cases in India. The exact number of cases were not recorded due challenges in comprehensive data collection across the country.

Black Fungus Infection Covid Symptoms

There are various black fungus infection covid symptoms observed once the eyes are getting infected due to black fungus. Some of the most important symptoms observed during the infection include

1. Redness & Swelling : Due to the infection there is redness and inflammation observed in the eyes.

2. Double vision : The person infected by fungus can experience double vision problems.

3. Eye Pain : Due to fungal infection the person faces pain in and around the eye.

4. Black discolouration : In many cases the necrosis may appear near the eyes or nose.

5. Reduced eye movement : Due to the fungal infection the eye or eyelids movement becomes slow.

6. Dark Skin Around the Eyes: In many severe cases, the skin which is present around the eyes becomes dark and turns into , purplish or blackish hue. This color in the tissues tells that the tissues have become necrotic (dead) due to the infection. This is a clear indication that the infection has progressed and requires immediate medical attention.

7. Fever : Fever is not specific but is often present in the early stages of fungal infection. A fever, associated with any of the other eye-related symptoms, means that the infection is spreading and affecting other areas of the body.

8. Difficulty in Breathing : When this black fungus infection has spread to the lungs or sinuses, the person may experience difficulty breathing or chest pain and the same condition may occur along with the eye symptoms or separately, and it’s crucial to seek medical help immediately if these symptoms arise.

How can Black fungus in eyes be diagnosed ?

There are various ways by which black fungus could be easily detected. Now when we talk about how to detect black fungus in eyes at an initial stage

1. Physical examination : physical examination is mostly carried by the doctors themselves where they check the symptoms like redness or blackness in tissues.

2.Imaging tests : This includes conducting CT scans or MRI s that help to diagnose the presence of infection in brain , lungs and eyes. The scan clarifies the area that is infected.

3. Laboratory culture : In this method the infected tissues or fluid is cultured in the labs to identify the presence of fungus.

4. Blood tests : There are certain markers seen during the blood test that indicate whether you have fungal infection , though they could not be the final ones.

What was Mucor mycosis earlier known as?

Mucor mycosis was previously known as zygomicosis i.e. a serious but rare fungal infection which is caused by a group of moles known as much or mice micros mucor mycetes so this mucor mycetes group encompasses rhizopus species and mucor species. There was a great fear & fury in everybody’s mind so let us try to understand what is much or microsis what is the biological basis of this infection, how we can prevent the infection and what are the possible treatment options.