What the IMSS said about the suspected black fungus case in Mexico

After it was reported that a 34-year-old man had symptoms of black fungus infection (mucormycosis) like the one that greatly affected post-COVID-19 recovered in India, The Mexican Institute of Social Security explained that it did not have a diagnosis confirming the infection.

Given the danger of suffering of this patient named Gregorio Avendaño, recovering from COVID-19 and suffering from diabetes, He was transferred from Chalco to La Raza specialist hospital, where he underwent surgery on Friday. to try to save the eye that has started to show necrosis.

“There is no diagnosis which indicates that the infection presented by the patient has related to diseases reported in other countries or highly contagious», Informed the IMSS in an information sheet to the portal However.

The IMSS representative office in the state of eastern Mexico explained that the patient had been admitted to the emergency room on May 29 and confirmed that, given the nature of his condition, he had been sent to “La Raza” National Medical Center for specialist treatment.

Man has suffered from diabetes for nine years, recovered from COVID-19 just a month ago, but his health deteriorated rapidly in recent days, for which he was admitted to the General Hospital of Zone 71, IMSS, in the municipality of Chalco, in the State of Mexico.

Gregorio started having severe headaches and nosebleeds on Saturday May 29 before noon. His family rushed him to hospital area because he had facial paralysis on the left side of his face and when they arrived at the hospital his glucose level was 500 mg / dl.

Within hours, a bruise started to form on his left eye and nose, so One of the specialists told Lisbeth Esmeralda Aguilar, Gregorio’s sister-in-law, that it was about a strange case of “black fungus” which necrotic his left eye, his nose and his palate.

After informing him of the lethality of the infection and indicating that he would lose the infected eye completely, the doctor Diego Reyma mentioned to the patient’s sister-in-law that due to the seriousness of the case and the The speed with which the disease progressed, the patient had to be urgently transferred to La Raza General Hospital, to be treated by specialist otolaryngologists.

“They told us that it was a very serious disease, that it is a fungus that attacks and spoils the face, that the disease progresses very quickly. They told us it was an emergency, but this kind of surgery was not performed in this hospital; that he was going to lose his eye and part of his nose, ”one of the relatives told the The universal.

The doctor even told them that the gravity was such that the fungus was already close to the brain and the patient’s risk of death was high.

What is it and who is it attacking?

Despite the fact that there have been multiple cases in India, this disease, which in severe cases can necrose tissue, is not common, however it is crucial to know that it affects patients with diabetes, an immune system weakened. (as post-coronavirus patients), and that this fungus he can be very close to us, even in our kitchen.

It is also important to say that mucormycosis does not pass from person to person and that the way a person gets infected is by breathing in the fungus spores, which can be found in the environment.

Black fungus is caused by a mold that found in damp environments like soil, compost, moldy tortillas, stale bread, or even in our refrigerator and it can attack the respiratory tract.

Several types of fungi can cause the disease. These fungi are not harmful to most people, but they can cause serious infections in people with weakened immune systems. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

People who are immunocompromised are more susceptible to infections, such as covid-19 patients, diabetics, who take steroids and those with other comorbidities, such as cancer or organ transplantss, according to the Indian Ministry of Health.

The ministry warned that “this does not mean that all covid patients will be infected with mucormycosis“How rare in non-diabetics.

“It’s not something common”: López-Gatell

“It’s very unfortunate, very sad that someone is suffering from it, but don’t feel like it’s something that will start to increase and increase, increase and that could affect you or a member of your family”Said Hugo López-Gatell, Under-Secretary for Prevention and Health Promotion.

During a press conference from the National Palace, the federal official stressed that this disease, mucormycosis, is caused by these fungi that exist in the environment ”, and nothing happens to us unless we have severe immunosuppression ”.

“This type of infection has existed in Mexico for many years, as it exists in almost all countries, and almost exclusively affects people with severe immunosuppression., It’s the very weak defenses”.

López-Gatell Ramírez explained that the clinical situation where it occurs more frequently in people who have cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy, “mainly blood cancers, lymphomas or leukemias”.

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