News Analysis India

Tag: Black fungus

  • Amid COVID-19, black fungus presents new menace for Maharashtra as 52 die so far due to fungal infection

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: As many as 52 people have died due to Mucormycosis, a rare but dangerous fungal infection, in Maharashtra since the COVID-19 outbreak last year, a senior health department official said on Friday.

    Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, became a much talked about subject after some recovering and recovered coronavirus patients were found infected with the disease, whose symptoms include headache, fever, pain under the eyes, nasal or sinus congestion and partial loss of vision.

    As many as 52 people in Maharashtra have died due to the Mucormycosis disease since the COVID-19 outbreak last year.

    All of them were COVID-19 survivors, but succumbed to the black fungus infection, the official told PTI.

    For the first time, the state health department has compiled a list of deaths caused by black fungus,” said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

    On Wednesday, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope had said there were 1,500 cases of black fungus in the state, which is in the throes of a severe second wave of COVID-19.

    Rising Mucormycosis cases, whose treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach, is expected to put a further burden on the state’s healthcare infrastructure which is already under a strain.

    The state will float a tender to procure one lakh Amphotericin-B anti-fungal injections to treat Mucormycosis patients, Tope had said a couple of days back.

    ALSO WATCH: Blindness due to fungal infections rising in second COVID-19 wave ​

    Mucormycosis has a very high fatality rate and this has increased the woes of the health department which has deployed all its resources to combat COVID-19.

    ALSO READ | Maharashtra requests Centre float common global tender for vaccines, cut down prices of black fungus medicines

    Mucormycosis was not a notified disease like malaria and hence its cases were not mapped and a database was not prepared, the official said.

    With the rise in COVID-19 cases and preliminary reports of growing infection of black fungus, the state started creating a database.

    This exercise revealed that so far 52 people have died due to the black fungus infection, the official said.

    All the 52 patients died after the coronavirus infection spread in the country.

    However, very few deaths took place in 2020 in Maharashtra.

    A sizeable number of deaths have taken place in the current calendar year, he said.

    As per health experts, Mucormycosis is mostly found among COVID-19 patients who have diabetes, fluctuation in sugar level or increased iron level in the blood.

    Tope has said patients with suppressed immune system and co-morbidities are vulnerable to contract the disease.

    As part of a contingency plan to treat Mucormycosis patients, the state government has decided to set up separate wards for them at hospitals attached to 18 medical colleges.

    The treatment requires multidisciplinary expertise because the fungal infection spreads through the nose, eyes and can reach the brain, Tope has said.

    The Maharashtra government has already admitted that at least eight patients in the state have lost vision in one eye due to Mucormycosis.

  • Black fungus spectre amid Covid rampage in India: All you need to know about this new menace

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  An alarming rise in the deadly fungal disease mucormycosis, in patients who have recovered from Covid-19 in several states, has prompted the Centre to take steps for ramping up the production of amphotericinB, an injectable medicine used to treat the condition.

    Mucormycosis, a rare infection also known as black fungus disease, is normally caused after exposure to mucor mould commonly found in soil, plants, manure and decaying fruits and vegetables, but is being reported in people following recovery from Covid-19.

    The condition, with an overall mortality rate of over 50%, affects the sinuses, the brain, eyes and the lungs and can be life-threatening in diabetic or severely immunocompromised individuals, such as cancer patients or people with HIV.

    A large number of people, who have recovered from Covid-19 in India are now reporting this disease, as it gets triggered by the use of steroids, a life-saving treatment for severe and critically ill Covid-19 patients, given to suppress immune response against the virus.

    Doctors say mucormycosis primarily affects those with history of diabetes or immunocompromised individuals. Of late, there has been a worrying rise in the number of cases.

    The Centre on Tuesday allocated amphotericinB among states based on supplies available till the end of this month.

    The government also said that talks are on with manufacturers of the drug to raise its availability.

    States have also been urged to put in place a mechanism for equitable distribution of supplies between government and private hospitals.

    States already grappling with the challenge posed by Covid-19, on the other hand, are on a brink with the rising instances of mucormycosis cases.

    In Jharkhand, for instance, over 35 cases have emerged so far, with a 38-year-old undergoing a procedure to remove one of his eyes.

    This patient was the first recorded case of the disease in the state, said Dr Anindya Anuradha at Medica Hospital in Ranchi.

    There are four others with severe damage to their eyes due to the disease.

    At PGI, Chandigarh, a rise of 35% in cases of mucormycosis has been noted in one year.

    Doctors said that a total of 61 cases of the disease have been seen at the tertiary care centre since April, 2020, 59 of whom had surgeries for partial or full removal of their eyes, and those without Covid-19 recovered faster. Annually, around 45 such cases used to come before the pandemic, said PGI sources.

    At least 50 cases of this deadly disease have also been reported in Madhya Pradesh, according to CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

    “We’re developing a detailed protocol, which will include its causes, symptoms and treatment strategy. Since the injections used to treat this infection are costly, the government will ensure free treatment of economically weak patients of the infection at our government hospitals,” Chouhan said in Bhopal.

    Sources said that black fungus cases have mostly been reported among post Covid patients in Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur. Keeping in mind the rising cases, dedicated beds have been set up in Jabalpur and Bhopal in the first phase.

    In Mumbai, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said they are getting more mucormycosis cases, mostly in diabetic patients who have recovered from Covid-19. In Maharashtra, there are over 2000 mucormycosis patients and eight deaths are reported due to this fungal infection.

    (Sumi Sukanya Dutta in New Delhi, Harpreet Bajwa in Chandigarh, Rajesh Kumar Thakur in Patna, Sudhir Suryawanshi in Mumbai, Mukesh Ranjan in Ranchi, Anuraag Singh in Bhopal)

    Know the disease

    What is Mucormycosis?

    Fungal infection caused by a group of moulds called mucormycetes. Affects those on medication for other problems that reduce their ability to fight environmental pathogens. After inhaling fungal spores, their sinuses or lungs may get affected.

    What can it lead to?

    Serious disease with symptoms of pain and redness around the eyes & nose, fever, headache, coughing, shortness of breath, bloody vomit.

    When should one be cautious of it?

    Be careful in case of sinusitis nasal congestion, blackish/bloody nasal discharge, pain on cheekbone and, one-sided facial pain .

  • Centre taking steps to ramp up production of anti-black fungus drugs as cases rise

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI/MUMBAI/PATNA/RANCHI/CHANDIGARH/BHOPAL: An alarming rise in the deadly fungal disease mucormycosis in patients recovered from Covid in several states has prompted the Centre to take steps for ramping up the production of amphotericinB, an injectable medicine used to treat the condition.

    Mucormycosis, a rare infection also known as black fungus disease, is normally caused after exposure to mucor mould commonly found in soil, plants, manure, and decaying fruits and vegetables but is being reported in people following recovery from Covid.

    The condition, with an overall mortality rate of over 50%,  affects the sinuses, the brain, eyes and the lungs and can be life-threatening in diabetic or severely immunocompromised individuals such as cancer patients or people with HIV.

    A large number of people, who have recovered from Covid in India, are now reporting this disease, as it gets triggered by the use of steroids, a life-saving treatment for severe and critically ill Covid-19 patients which is given to suppress the immune response against the virus.

    Doctors say mucormycosis primarily affects those with a history of diabetes or immunocompromised individuals and of late there has been a worrying rise in the number of such patients.

    Recognising the need to prioritise treatment of such patients, the Centre on Tuesday allocated amphotericinB among states based on supplies available till the end of this month.

    ALSO READ | Black fungus on rise in Covid patients, doctors blame use of steroids

    The Union government also said that talks are on with manufacturers of the drug to raise its availability and the supply position is expected to improve with extra imports of the medicine and an increase in its production domestically.

    States have also been urged to put in place a mechanism for equitable distribution of supplies between government and private hospitals.

    States already grappling with the huge challenge posed by Covid, on the other hand, are on the brink with the rising instances of mucormycosis cases.

    In Maharashtra, for instance, there are over 2,000 mucormycosis patients while 8 patients have already succumbed to the fungal infection.

    “We are setting up special wards to treat fungal infected patients. We also urgently need one lakh injections that are effective on this mucormycosis. We have registered our demand with Haffkine Institute of Training and Research and they will soon float the tender to purchase these injections,” said Health Minister Rajesh Tope. 

    ALSO READ | ‘No big outbreak’ of black fungus infection: Head of Covid-19 taskforce VK Paul

    He added that patients with mucormycosis will be given free of cost treatment under the Mahatma Jyotibha Phule health scheme in 1,000 hospitals across the state.

    In Jharkhand, over 35 cases have emerged so far with a 38-year-old patient undergoing a procedure to remove one of his eyes.

    This patient was the first recorded case of the disease in the state, said Dr Anindya Anuradha at Medica Hospital in Ranchi and there are four others with severe damage to their eyes due to the disease.

    At PGI, Chandigarh a rise of 35% in cases of mucormycosis has been noted in one year. Doctors said that a total of 61 cases of the disease have been seen at the tertiary care centre since April 2020, 59 of whom had surgeries for partial or full removal of their eyes, and those without Covid recovered faster.

    Annually, around 45 such cases used to come before the pandemic, said PGI sources.

    At least 50 cases of this deadly disease have also been reported in Madhya Pradesh, according to CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.  

    ALSO READ | Black fungus hits over 70 COVID-19 patients, six dead in Telangana

    “We’re developing a detailed protocol, which will include its causes, symptoms and treatment strategy. All patients infected with black fungus will be treated as per the protocol only. Since the injections used to treat this infection are costly, the government will ensure free treatment of economically weak patients of the infection at our government hospitals,” Chouhan said in Bhopal on Wednesday.

     Sources said that black fungus cases have mostly been reported among post-Covid patients in Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur. Keeping in mind the rising cases, a dedicated Mucormycosis unit of 10-beds each is being created at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College in Jabalpur and Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal in the first phase.

    At Jabalpur Medical College, dean PK Kasar confirmed that two such patients have undergone surgery.

    The disease has also been detected in four persons in Bihar so far. These four Covid patients, with a history of diabetes, are currently under treatment at AIIMS and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science in Patna.

  • In order to deal with the black fungus, Chhattisgarh has given waistline, Bhupesh Baghel has given instructions to decide the availability of all the necessary medicines.

    Bhupesh Baghel has taken the information of black fungus infection seriously in the state. He has instructed the Health Department officials to fix the availability of all necessary medicines for the treatment of black fungus in all the districts of Chhattisgarh. It is known that at present, information about the infection of black fungus is being received in the state of Chhattisgarh. For this prevention, drugs such as posaconazole and amphotericin-B are required. Its regular and methodical supply is very important. In compliance with the instructions of the Chief Minister, the Controller of Food and Drug Administration of Chhattisgarh directed the Drug Inspectors posted in all the districts to decide the availability of medicines, Posaconazole and Amphotresin-B (all dosage forms, tablets, syrups, injections and liposomal injections) in their districts. Issued. The Controller of Food and Drug Administration has directed the drug inspectors to obtain the daily available quantity of the said medicines daily from all wholesalers, stockists, C&F within their respective fields. Drug inspectors should issue necessary instructions in this regard to all drug establishments in their area.

  • Madhya Pradesh to consult US doctors to tackle mucormycosis: Minister

    In some cases of mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, a rare but serious infection, the affected part has to be surgically removed.