Mucormycosis- A menace to mankind

Right after Covid-19's advent in India, mucormycosis came alongside as a recent epidemic with a considerably very high frequency especially in India. This infection is caused by a group of fungus and is considered to be very fatal. The main associated risk factors of its causation are a very high usage of the drugs particularly the corticosteroids and those patients who in their treatment line have high quantity of those drugs which cause suppression in immunity. Also, those patients who itself have a much suppressed immunity have higher chances of developing this fatal infection as compared to other patients. A noticeable rise in these cases was seen particularly during the second wave of covid-19 infection in India. At that time a very heavy usage of corticosteroids was the main reason for the higher number of covid-19 patients to be affected by mucormycosis subsequently. It is also assumed that improper hygiene or various infective practices (usage of impure water for humidifying oxygen) lead to its spread in the patients during that time. Diabetes particularly being an immune suppressive disease is also considered a major reason for covid-19 patients having developed this infection subsequently. This article mainly emphasis on the etiology, spread, clinical signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and prevention of mucormycosis.