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Officials in Honduras have reported 42 mucormycosis cases since June 2021, of which 22 people died, according to a Swiss Info report.

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70% of all cases are associated with the coronavirus and 30% with diseases such as diabetes or hypertension, according to the report.

The departments of Francisco Morazán and Comayagua (center); Olancho (east), Choluteca (south) and Cortés (north), are the regions of the Central American country that register the highest number of black fungus infections.

Mucormycosis is a rare fungal disease that is difficult to diagnose. One in a million people suffer from mucormycosis every year, with a very high mortality rate of 50 to 70 percent: There is evidence that more than 3,500 people lose their lives each year, and the number of undiagnosed cases is likely high. Mucormycosis is caused by the inhalation of spores from certain fungi, or their entry into the body through a skin injury. People with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and immunocompromised patients are particularly affected.