Accuprobe Awareness

Mucormycosis refers to severe infectious diseases that are caused by filamentous fungi of the Mucorales order that primarily affect immunocompromised patients and patients with diabetes mellitus. Recently, an increasing incidence has been reported among COVID-19 patients in India. The most common genera in invasive mucormycosis are Rhizopus, Rhizomucor, Lichtheimia and Mucor, accounting for 90% of all cases. Clinically and radiographically, mucormycosis is often indistinguishable from other invasive fungal infections such as aspergillosis and remains difficult to diagnose. A definitive diagnosis of mucormycosis typically requires histopathological evidence or positive fungal culture from a specimen from the site of infection, which may be difficult to obtain in some patients. A molecular diagnostic approach, detecting circulating DNA of Mucorales (by PCR) in serum of patients, may help to diagnose invasive mucormycosis more quickly and to introduce directed therapy earlier and eventual...

  Aspergillus is a filamentous fungus known as a common mold (White Fungus). Most people breathe in Aspergillus spores daily with no ill effects. However, people with compromised immune systems or lung diseases are at a higher risk of developing aspergillosis due to aspergillus. Several recent reports describe COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis. Aspergillus fumigatus was the most common species causing co-infection in COVID-19 patients, followed by Aspergillus flavus.  Aspergillosis is broadly classified into different categories based on the site of infection and recurrence rates- Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis Allergic Aspergillus sinusitis Aspergilloma/fungus ball Cutaneous aspergillosis Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis Invasive aspergillosis Diagnosis of aspergillosis is often difficult due to several factors such as delay in clinical suspicion and the lack of specific clinical findings. Conventional diagnosis of Aspergillosis is dependent on fungal cultu...