In a month, 8 die of black fungus at Chandigarh hospitals

Naina Mishra

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 2

Eight patients suffering from mucormycosis (black fungus) have died at the city hospitals in the past one month. Three of them belonged to the city.

So far, the city hospitals have witnessed 201 cases of mucormycosis. While the maximum 147 patients were admitted to the PGI, 50 were admitted to the GMCH-32, three to Healing Hospital and one to Mukat Hospital.

Dr Gyan from the ENT Department, PGI, said, “Mucormycosis can affect lungs, nose and rhinosinus orbit. It can also affect various organs like kidneys. Risk factor is different for different organs. Mucor has also been seen in patients suffering from cancer and receiving chemotherapy and those requiring dialysis. Mostly, the prevalence is in rhinosinus orbit. Rhino-orbital mucormycosis is mostly seen in patients with uncontrolled diabetes. It spreads faster from nose to eyes.”

“These days, a lot of eye involvement is seen. The fungus is spreading faster through blood vessels and enters the eye. Once it reaches the eye, it obstructs the blood vessels of the eye. As a result, it freezes the movement of the eyeball with subsequent loss of vision. If immediate intervention is not provided, it has the propensity to enter the brain and further complicate the condition leading to stroke and fungal meningitis,” he added.

Since the onset of the pandemic, there have been multiple reports across the country of a very high incidence of mucormycosis among patients with Covid-19 especially in those who are diabetic and those who have received steroids. Covid-associated mucormycosis has been associated with high morbidity and mortality, exorbitant treatment costs and led to shortage of anti-fungal drugs.