Mucormycosis: An Emerging Fungal Infection in the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a resurgence of mucormycosis, a rare and opportunistic fungal infection, with India reporting a particularly notable increase in incidence. Mucormycosis is a life-threatening condition that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment to prevent high morta...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Parisa Saberi-Hasanabadi1, 2, Milad Esmaeilzadeh Farmad3, Ramin Ataee4
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pasteur Institute of Iran 2024-06-01
Series:Journal of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jommid.pasteur.ac.ir/article-1-558-en.html
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849728140459376640
author Parisa Saberi-Hasanabadi1, 2
Milad Esmaeilzadeh Farmad3
Ramin Ataee4
author_facet Parisa Saberi-Hasanabadi1, 2
Milad Esmaeilzadeh Farmad3
Ramin Ataee4
author_sort Parisa Saberi-Hasanabadi1, 2
collection DOAJ
description During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a resurgence of mucormycosis, a rare and opportunistic fungal infection, with India reporting a particularly notable increase in incidence. Mucormycosis is a life-threatening condition that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment to prevent high mortality rates and severe sequelae. It is caused by the inhalation of spores from ubiquitous filamentous fungi belonging to the order Mucorales. Individuals with compromised immune systems or underlying conditions, such as diabetes, ketoacidosis, and neutropenia, are particularly vulnerable to infection. The risk and severity of mucormycosis are exacerbated by several factors, including corticosteroid therapy, prolonged intensive care stay, and the use of ventilators. Additionally, contaminated oxygen humidifiers pose a significant risk. Effective management of mucormycosis in critically ill COVID-19 patients relies on early diagnosis, optimization of predisposing factors, timely antifungal treatment, surgical debridement, and adjuvant therapies. Imaging modalities such as contrast-enhanced CT scans and MRI are crucial for guiding surgical debridement and assessing disease extent. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the clinical pathogenesis, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and challenges associated with mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients, summarizing the latest findings in this field.
format Article
id doaj-art-0ae66bbcc7fd4acf9aab1d71e8913486
institution DOAJ
issn 2345-5349
2345-5330
language English
publishDate 2024-06-01
publisher Pasteur Institute of Iran
record_format Article
series Journal of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
spelling doaj-art-0ae66bbcc7fd4acf9aab1d71e89134862025-08-20T03:09:38ZengPasteur Institute of IranJournal of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases2345-53492345-53302024-06-01122849910.61186/JoMMID.12.2.84Mucormycosis: An Emerging Fungal Infection in the COVID-19 PandemicParisa Saberi-Hasanabadi1, 20https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8775-4582Milad Esmaeilzadeh Farmad31https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9225-6157Ramin Ataee42https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6342-03821Ph.D in Toxicology and pharmacology, Faculty of pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; 2Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical sciences, Sari, Iran39th Dey of Torbat Heydariyeh Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran4Medicinal Plants Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, IranDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a resurgence of mucormycosis, a rare and opportunistic fungal infection, with India reporting a particularly notable increase in incidence. Mucormycosis is a life-threatening condition that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment to prevent high mortality rates and severe sequelae. It is caused by the inhalation of spores from ubiquitous filamentous fungi belonging to the order Mucorales. Individuals with compromised immune systems or underlying conditions, such as diabetes, ketoacidosis, and neutropenia, are particularly vulnerable to infection. The risk and severity of mucormycosis are exacerbated by several factors, including corticosteroid therapy, prolonged intensive care stay, and the use of ventilators. Additionally, contaminated oxygen humidifiers pose a significant risk. Effective management of mucormycosis in critically ill COVID-19 patients relies on early diagnosis, optimization of predisposing factors, timely antifungal treatment, surgical debridement, and adjuvant therapies. Imaging modalities such as contrast-enhanced CT scans and MRI are crucial for guiding surgical debridement and assessing disease extent. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the clinical pathogenesis, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and challenges associated with mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients, summarizing the latest findings in this field.https://jommid.pasteur.ac.ir/article-1-558-en.htmlcovid-19 infectionsmucormycetesorgan damagerisk factors and linkages
spellingShingle Parisa Saberi-Hasanabadi1, 2
Milad Esmaeilzadeh Farmad3
Ramin Ataee4
Mucormycosis: An Emerging Fungal Infection in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Journal of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
covid-19 infections
mucormycetes
organ damage
risk factors and linkages
title Mucormycosis: An Emerging Fungal Infection in the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_full Mucormycosis: An Emerging Fungal Infection in the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_fullStr Mucormycosis: An Emerging Fungal Infection in the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_full_unstemmed Mucormycosis: An Emerging Fungal Infection in the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_short Mucormycosis: An Emerging Fungal Infection in the COVID-19 Pandemic
title_sort mucormycosis an emerging fungal infection in the covid 19 pandemic
topic covid-19 infections
mucormycetes
organ damage
risk factors and linkages
url https://jommid.pasteur.ac.ir/article-1-558-en.html
work_keys_str_mv AT parisasaberihasanabadi12 mucormycosisanemergingfungalinfectioninthecovid19pandemic
AT miladesmaeilzadehfarmad3 mucormycosisanemergingfungalinfectioninthecovid19pandemic
AT raminataee4 mucormycosisanemergingfungalinfectioninthecovid19pandemic