Current Affairs

Issue

The increasing cases of black fungus have created shortages of liposomal Amphotericin B used as a primary drug in treating the infection.

 

Background

Mucormyosis, also known as black fungus, is one of the most widely observed post-covid symptoms across the globe.

 

Details

• The drug has been gaining demand from desperate relatives of patients. This has resulted in hoarding and black marketing.

• The black fungus disease is a rare fungal infection. It is estimated to infect about 140 people per million in India. It is the joint highest rate of infection in the world.

• Doctors and experts have pointed irrational use of steroids as a possible reason for such high rate of disease in India.

 

Treatment of infection

• The diagnosis and treatment has to be quick if the survival rate has to increase. Drugs as well as surgery can remove fungus from the body.

• Drugs used in treatment include posaconazole, isavuconazole, and Amphotericin B deoxycholate along with preferred liposomal Amphotericin B

• Amphotericin B deoxycholate is an effective treatment drug but is known to cause kidney damage. It is recommended to patients having no kidney ailments.