Publications by authors named "Ahalya Kanakan"
Nocardiosis is a rare opportunistic infection mostly affecting the lungs, brain, or skin of immunocompromised individuals. Most pulmonary nocardiosis patients present with nonspecific clinical features such as productive cough, exertional dyspnea, and fever. The disease is uncommonly suspected, especially in tuberculosis-endemic regions, and clinical diagnosis is often delayed, resulting in high mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere has been a surge of mucormycosis cases in India in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 with more than 40000 cases reported. Mucormycosis in patients of COVID-19 in India is at variance to other countries where Aspergillus, Pneumocystis, and Candida have been reported to be the major secondary fungal pathogens. We discuss the probable causes of the mucormycosis epidemic in India.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- There has been a significant increase in rhino-orbital mucormycosis cases in India linked to COVID-19, particularly after the second wave of the pandemic.
- A study reported 13 cases at a medical center, highlighting a predominance of male patients, vision loss in two cases, and intracranial disease in four. Most of the patients had diabetes and had used steroids, which were identified as major risk factors.
- The research suggests that while steroid use and diabetes contribute to the risk, COVID-19 itself may also predispose patients to mucormycosis through specific molecular mechanisms.