Mucormycosis is the general term for a collection of different fungal infections that are caused by mould from the order Mucorales cause these illnesses. When mould spores are breathed into the lungs, they can lead to infection. Mould spores can also cause illness when they enter the body through a cut in the skin.
The symptoms of this condition are often linked to the area of the body where the fungal infection is present. However, there are also some more general symptoms that many people experience related to Mucormycosis.
When the lungs are infected with Mucormycosis, symptoms might include:
If the skin is infected, patients might display these symptoms:
When the GI tract is infected, the common symptoms are:
This condition is caused by moulds from the order Mucorales. These moulds can be in the soil or elsewhere in the environment, and they do not usually cause infection in healthy people. However, for those who have a suppressed immune system or some kinds of systemic health issues, these moulds can cause an invasive infection in the body. Mucormycosis is most often caused by breathing in mould spores, but it can also happen if mould spores get into a cut or break in the skin.
The risk factors for getting Mucormycosis are:
This condition is not contagious to other people, so you cannot contract Mucormycosis from someone else who has it.
There are various tests that can be done to look for the presence of Mucormycosis and the mould spores related to it. Your doctor will usually take tissue samples or sputum samples from the lungs to have a laboratory culture them for the presence of fungus in the culture. You might also need to have biopsies of all affected organs to be sure that there are no other health issues going on that might be causing the symptoms that you are experiencing.
Prevention of this condition requires that you protect yourself from exposure to mould spores. For those who do not have pre-existing health concerns, it is unlikely that being exposed to mould will cause any kind of illness. Those with suppressed immune systems will need to be more cautious when they are engaged in activities that could bring them into contact with mould.
Be sure to wear a mask and gloves if you are working in the soil or if you are going to be in an area that might be cold and wet. An N95 mask is ideal for protection from mould spores. Wash your hands before eating and be sure that you cover up cuts or breaks in the skin. If you take antifungal medications related to another condition, you will be at increased risk of contracting Mucormycosis as well.
Treatment of this condition is usually done with antifungal medications. The most common drugs that are used to treat Mucormycosis are amphotericin B, posaconazole, and isavuconazole. These might be given intravenously or by mouth. Many patients will need to be on these medications for an extended period of time to clear this kind of infection. In severe cases, Mucormycosis might require surgical excision of lesions in the body do not respond to treatment.