Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: During September 17-24, 2021, three clinicians independently notified the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) of multiple patients with mucormycosis after a recent diagnosis of COVID-19.To provide data to guide clinical and public health practice, ADH coordinated a statewide call on October 11, 2021 to infection preventionists for COVID-19-associated mucormycosis cases.Mucormycosis is an uncommon but severe invasive fungal infection caused by molds in the order Mucorales.Mucormycosis typically affects persons with immunocompromising conditions such as a hematologic malignancy, stem cell or solid organ transplantation, or uncontrolled diabetes (1).The emergence of COVID-19-associated mucormycosis has been described in other parts of the world, particularly in India, but has been infrequently reported in the United States (2-4).COVID-19 might increase mucormycosis risk because of COVID-19-induced immune dysregulation or associated treatments such as corticosteroids and immunomodulatory drugs (e.g., tocilizumab or baricitinib) that impair host defenses against molds (5).A case of mucormycosis was defined as laboratory identification of Mucorales by culture, histopathology, or polymerase chain reaction in a patient with a clinical diagnosis of invasive mucormycosis.† Cases were considered COVID-19-associated if the patient received a positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction or antigen test result for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) during the 60 days preceding the mucormycosis diagnosis.Cases were reported to ADH using a standardized case report form, medical records, or oral report.Data were stored using * These authors contributed equally to this report.† Signs and symptoms of mucormycosis vary by the affected body site.Rhinoorbital-cerebral mucormycosis signs and symptoms frequently include fever, unilateral facial swelling, headache, sinus congestion, vision loss, proptosis, and necrotic lesions of the nasal bridge or palate.Cutaneous mucormycosis signs and symptoms frequently include fever, blisters or ulcers that become necrotic, and pain, erythema, or swelling around the wound.Pulmonary mucormycosis signs and symptoms frequently include fever, cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath.Gastrointestinal mucormycosis signs and symptoms frequently include fever, abdominal pain, nausea,
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4200399316