DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2021.v09i07.015

Pages: 1202-1208

Mucormycosis is a rare but serious life threatening, angioinvasive fungal infection with high mortality rate. In 2nd wave of pandemic it has been increasing as an opportunistic infection in covid 19 recovered patients. The most common organism is Rhizopus oryzae and is responsible for 70% of all cases of mucormycosis. India is dealing a double blow as rapid increase in Covid-19 cases and also with this nasty rare fungal infection. More than 70% cases of mucormycosis are from India. The fatality rate in mucormycosis if patient goes untreated is as high as 80%, If treated, it is still 40-50%. Mucormycosis was predominantly seen in males (79%), both in people who were active (59%) or recovered (41%) from COVID-19. Diabetes was present in 80% of cases, while concomitant diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) was present in 15% and corticosteroid treatment was given for COVID-19 in 76%. DM has been the most common risk factor linked with mucormycosis and India is the diabetes capital of the world although hematological malignancies and organ transplant takes the lead in Europe and the USA. Treatments need to be fast and aggressive, because by the time even the presumptive diagnosis is made, often the patient has suffered significant tissue damage that cannot be reversed. Liposomal Amphotericin B (≥5mg/kg) combined with surgery is the first line therapy for mucormycosis. Due to rapidly growing number of cases many Indian state Governments have declared it an epidemic. Himachal government declared mucormycosis as an epidemic for one year on 21st May 2021 after detection of first case on 20th May 2021.