HPA says no cases of Black fungus have been identified in Maldives

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has stated that the Maldives does not have any cases of Mucormycosis or better known as Black fungus disease. 

The HPA said that samples were collected and sent abroad to test for Black fungus after symptoms close to the disease were identified from an individual in the Maldives. 

Results of the samples have now been received, according to HPA which said that the symptoms from the patient were not of Black fungus, but a fungal infection due to being bed-ridden for a long period of time. 

The samples were collected from an individual who had recently recovered from COVID-19. The individual has been identified as an elderly person. 

The disease has been spreading in India with more than 9,000 cases confirmed so far, according to the BBC. The rare and deadly infection has caused concern in the public. 

What is Black fungus?

Black fungus, according to experts is caused by mold found in damp environments like soil or compost and can attack the respiratory tract. It is not contagious and does not spread from person to person.

Several types of fungi can cause the disease. These fungi aren't harmful to most people but can cause serious infections among those with weakened immune systems, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Black fungus commonly affects the sinuses or lungs after a person inhales fungal spores in the air, and can also affect the skin following a surface injury like a cut or burn. Symptoms depend on where in the body the fungus is growing but can include facial swelling, fever, skin ulcers, and black lesions in the mouth.