With 2,281 cases of black fungus infection, 70 deaths, Gujarat tops in black fungus disease

While the second wave of Coronavirus pandemic appears to be on the wane with the rate of recovery faster than new cases of infection as per official figures, Mucormycosis, or black fungus, is causing panic among patients and doctors in Gujarat.

With over 2,000 cases reported from all over Gujarat in less than a month, the state government has declared Mucomycosis as an epidemic along with more than 10 other states.

Gujarat has sent an SOS to the Centre to arrange for more supply of Amphotericin-B injects for the treatment of the epidemic even as it has set up separate wards in hospitals for patients suffering from Mucormycosis.

The state’s health department is preparing a guideline for the treatment of the epidemic for the doctors to follow the protocol.

With as many as 2,281 cases of Mucormycosis reported from the state of the total 8,,848 in the country, Gujarat accounts for one-fourth of the cases that have led to blindness and as many as 70 deaths so far. Over 200 people have died of this epidemic in the country so far.

Maharashtra is the second after Gujarat to have reported the highest black fungus cases found prevalent among people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have co-morbidities.

According to medical professionals, the excessive use of steroids for the treatment of critical COVID-19 patients appears to be the main cause of Mucormycosis.

Following shortage of Amphotericin-B used for the treatment of Mucormycosis, it is being sold in the black market at a premium cost just as it was the case with Remedisivir and medical grade oxygen when the second wave of coronavirus pandemic was at its peak.

According to ENT specialists, a Mucormycosis patient needs to be administered 60 to 100 injections of Amphotericin-B spread over a period of five to six months after being put under surgery.

At present, there are four pharmaceutical companies in the countrywhich manufacture Amphotericin-B injections. Being a generic medicine, other pharmacompanies too can start manufacturing it. The Centre has already imported over 300,000 injections. Each injection costs Rs 7,000.

In case the black fungus infection, which starts from sinus, spreads to mouth, it affects the upper jaw bones which need to be removed by surgery.

Another challenge facing the medical practitioners is the occurrence of ‘white fungus’ infection among the patients who have co-morbidities and have recovered from COVID-19. Till May 22, four patients with white fungus infection were admitted to the Ahmedabad civil hospital which has set up a separate ward for Mucormycosis patients.