Fear the origin of black fungus not the ‘chance occurrence’ of Mucormycosis, let our medical system not behave like ‘Alice-in- Wonderland’

 

 

As early as 1916, in the journal of Agricultural Research, a research article was published entitled “effect of pasteurization on mold spores” highlights the unique survival advantage of Mucor, Rhizopus and other species of fungi belongs to Zygomycetes, over many other common contaminants like species of Aspergillus, Pencillium, Fusarium etc.  

Subsequently another study entitled “Survival of some medically important fungi on hospital fabrics and plastics” in the year 2001 appeared in Journal of clinical microbiology reveals once again that Mucor spores have an exalted survival advantage in most of the hospital articles when compared to other fungi like Candida or Aspergillus spp.  

Both the studies clearly show that Mucor (black fungi) is one of the most abundant common contaminants in hospital wards, garden, public places, residential areas and in our well-decorated drawing room and why even in refrigerated food stuffs. 

Mucor needs organic, damp, wet place to grow and sporulate and once the spores are produced inside the sporangia head, the head slits open and the spores are then released. 

Faster growth rate, faster rate of spore formation, minimal nutrient requirement, versatile pH tolerance, high heat resistance etc., give Mucor and other zygomycetes molds not only the advantage to travel fast but also to suppress the growth of other fungi and thereby dominate in the give space. 

Relatively large spore size of these fungi also would help the spores to store greater amount of reserve food to withstand the adverse situation for longer period of time.   Although Mucor may need wet, damp organic or filth rich environment to grow but its spores need very dry, hot to warm, low humid environment/air to disperse.   All the above uniqueness of Mucor and other Zygomycetes fungi involved in human infections under extremely rare situations clearly suggest that Mucormycosis in COVID is a chance occurrence and not favoured by natural selection or intentional act by mucor or the extraordinary susceptibility of COVID patients.   

Our medical fraternity, before press the alarm button about black fungus threat to general public must verify the possible source of the fungus.  Only by arresting the source by taking all necessary measures to decontaminate the ward, swiftly clear the bio-waste from the premise, use air filters to purify the air etc., we can arrest black fungus.

Another important question also our medical fraternity must ask.  The spores of Mucor or COVID virus can break the barrier of the mask easily which is being imposed to wear by our Government?  The spore of Mucor is several times bigger in size than the virus and hence the chance of Mucor getting into our lungs or respiratory region is very less if we wear mask.  Why don’t our medical fraternity tell the post COVID people to continue wear mask.  Even if such advisory is not given, in the era of COVID, everyone wears mask.

Our hospital managers must first look within their house to control black fungus than making some annoying warning about the threat.  

For a plant pathogen to cause infection in man, it is not just the immune compromised status alone is sufficient, the number of spores required to cause infection is also equally important. 

In normal air the possibility of Mucor spores sufficient enough to cause infection in man is quite less otherwise several people would have got mucormycosis by now.  Therefore the COVID ward and hospital has to be primarily suspected as the principal source of mucor and if so, the people concerned must be taken to book for such a gross medical negligence.  After causing such a grave error and medical negligence, how the same medical fraternity can overblow the issue and cause panic among people? 

In India, a very rare Prototheca infection; Prothothecosis (infection due a species of algae) was reported several decades ago.  Does that mean prototheca is to be scared as a deadly pathogen?  During HIV season, several decades ago, infection due to Pneumocystis jirovecii and Penicillium marneffei (a dimorophic) fungi were reported.   How common are these pathogens today, even among HIV patients?  

Can our medical world behave like Alice in wonderland, expressing all their observations to make a generalized comment to create a new normal?  

Unemployment, job loss, hopelessly declining economy, poverty, dissolution among people, shattered education etc., are the real problem that daunts India and not COVID. 

Let us not over burry us totally into COVID pandemic.  Every disease will take its price and the most susceptible have to pay.  That is natural law. 

This universe is for every species of life and not an exclusive, inherited property of man. 

The law of universe is for the total species of human being and not for the individuals, albeit, whether such an individual is rich or poor, black or white, educated or illiterate, devotee or an atheist, peon or Chief Minister, doctor or patient. 

Therefore nature will certainly spare a few Homo sapiens on earth to refill the space created by COVID and we must allow our country to move forward. 

Lockdown and destroying our country’s economy, employment and education in the name of protecting people from COVID is not a fair option. 

Fear mongering even if with good intention to create awareness among people must be avoided and instead we must give confidence to people to self-manage the problem whenever possible and hospitalization should be advised only when there is acute necessity. 

But today, people have gone crazy and scary and for every medical problem, they fear and suspect COVID and our medical system is also declaring COVID as the only cause of death in India.