Covid, diabetes, steroids fuelling black fungus outbreak: Docs

Immuno-compromised diabetes patients more prone to disease

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 22

During a formal meeting of the Health Department on the present scenario of mucormycosis or black fungus, health teams reported at least 24 such cases in the district. Doctors are alarmed at the frequency of the cases being reported in the district during the second wave of Covid.

The state government had declared black fungus as a notified disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act on Wednesday.

According to sources, so far, two deaths have been reported from the disease. The department says the entire picture will be clear when all private hospitals send in their data by Monday. Health sources also claim that around 24 to 25 cases had been reported in a meeting held recently and the number of cases was now about 30 to 35 in the district.

Doctors said there was a dramatic rise in number of cases of the rare disease, of which merely three to four cases were reported every year.

Dr Sandeep Goyal, DM, Neurology, NHS Hospital, said, “We have been treating mucormycosis cases for the past 25 years but have witnessed an unprecedented rise in number of cases during the second wave of Covid. Earlier, only three to four cases were reported in a year. But amid the second wave, 15 to 20 cases have already been reported this year. Last year, the first case of black fungus was reported in July. In all, three patients were reported in as many months during the first wave and a total of six cases were reported in 2020. “One of our patients suffering from mucormycosis also died. At present, we have three patients suffering from the disease at our hospital,” he said.

Dr Goyal added, “Immuno-compromised patients with diabetes are certainly more prone to contract the disease. Such patients also usually have a history of steroid use. However, two of the patients, which had the disease, had no such history. People with diabetes are also advised to keep their sugar level under check.”

Dr Vijay Mahajan, Tagore Hospital, said, “We have three cases of mucormycosis with us currently. Patients who are on steroids are more prone to get the disease.”

As per a source, with the increasing number of black fungus cases, demand for anti-fungal medicines, such as amphotericin injections, has also increased. Earlier, every hospital had been demanding Remdesivir.”

Health sources added that initial cases of black fungus being reported were from other states such as Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana and neighbouring districts like Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala.

District Family Welfare Officer Dr Raman Gupta said, “We have sought data regarding mucormycosis from all private hospitals which is trickling in slowly. So far, seven cases and one death has been formally reported in the district until 3 pm today. A detailed report from all private hospitals will be available on Monday.”

Civil Surgeon Dr Balwant Singh said much of the data on black fungus prevalence in the district was yet awaited.