Black Fungus Cases Rising in India Spike of Above 166% Observed: Know What Happens When Contact this Serious Infection

Over the past 16 days, black fungus cases have been rising in India, spike of above 166% has been observed. More number of patients, who have been recovering from Covid-19 infection have been affected by this infection, this can turn fatal too. Across the nation, about 24,058 patients are presently undertaking the treatment for black fungus infection. The situation has turned bad to worse due to shortage of drugs Amphotericin B, which is used, to treat this serious infection. Even those patients who are suffering from diabetes are getting infected.

When it comes to the worst affected states, Maharastra has topped the list, having about 7,057 cases and nearing to 609 deaths. The next state is Gujarat, it is second to close, it has reported about 5,418 cases and 323 deaths. Third, Rajasthan having about 2,976 cases. On 25th May, Maharastra had reported mere 2,770 black fungus cases and Gujarat had reported about 2,859 cases.

An official has stated, that in Chhattisgarh, a total of 17 patients have died because of Mucormycosis or black fungus and about 11 others are suffering from this deadly infection succumbed due to different health factors.

Chhattisgarh has so far reported nearing to 276 cases of black fungus and about 17 deaths, 6 were reported from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Raipur, about 7 individuals from private hospitals and nearing 2 from Raigarh medical college while one each from Sector-9 hospital Bhilai and Chhattisgarh institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) Bilaspur. Of the remaining 11 deaths, in AIIMs nearing to 8 patients were admitted, two in Sector-9 hospital and 1 in private hospital.

Uttar Pradesh has reported about 1,744 cases and nearing to 142 deaths. And the national capital reported about 1200 cases and 125 deaths. On 25th May, UP had mere 701 cases and the neighboring Delhi had about 119.

In the last three weeks, across the nation, there have been around 31,216 cases and about 2,109 deaths due to black fungus.

Number of Mucormycosis(blackfungus) patients at AIIMS Bhubaneshwar has reached 40, including 12 suspected cases. A separate ward has also been created in the hospital's ENT department for treatment of patients with Mucormycosis.

Sachidananda Mohanty, AIIMS Bhubaneshwar medical superintendent, stated 4 patients having Mucormycosis have died and 4 others have been discharged from the hospital so far. Nearing to 23 patients were referred to our hospital for treatment. Surgery has been performed for about 23 out of the total 40 patients so far. Few of the patients have also lost eyes due to the black fungus infection.

On Friday, State Health Department, informed Dehradun had around 21 new cases of black fungus and 6 deaths on July 10th .

With this, the total number of black fungus patients in Dehradun District, has gone up nearing to 319, while the cumulative black fungus cases in Uttarkhand, now stand at 356 with 56 deaths.

Atleast 220 patients are undergoing treatment At AIIMS, Rishikesh. So far about 31 patients won the battle against black fungus.

In the meantime, the Nainital High Court has directed that, the Central Government to offer an uninterrupted supply of life-saving medicines to Uttarakhand.

On June 10th, the court has directed the state government to organize district-level vaccination for the weaker sections of the society, especially those who are deprived of vaccination because of lack of ID cards.

What happens when you contact black fungus?

When an individual contacts black fungus, they experience numerous warning signs, they include redness and pain around the eyes or nose along with fever, coughing, headache, bloody vomits, shortness of breath and altered mental status. As per the advisory, infection with mucormycetes should be suspected, when there is

• One-sided facial pain, local pain on the cheek bone, swelling or numbness

• Double or Blurred vision with pain

• Pleural effusion, chest pain, worsening of respiratory symptoms

• Skin lesion, necrosis, and thrombosis.

• Loosening of teeth, jaw involvement

• Blackish discoloration over bridge of nose or palate

• Worsening of respiratory symptoms, chest pain and pleural effusion

Experts have suggested that, not all cases of blocked nose as cases of bacterial sinusitis, especially in the context of immunosuppression and/or Covid-19 patients on immunomodulators. You must not hesitate, but instead should be ready for aggressive investigations to detect fungal infection.

Black fungus is a severe infection and it is normally very rare, the mortality rate is about 50%.

Government is not levying any tax for medicines used in treating Black Fungus, such as monoclonal antibody Tocilizumab and Amphotericin B.

Looking at the increases cases of black fungus or Mucormycosis, the Union Health Ministry had last month stated, availability of Amphotercin-B, the key drug, which is used to treat the deadly disease, is now increased. That's not all, the ministry is in touch with 5 additional manufacturers.

The state governments have been instructed to create a task force for the same. And the court has also directed the Ministry to make the information about availability of Black Fungus Medicine public and ensure they reach people.

Notifiable Disease under the Epidemic Disease Act

Numerous states, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradhesh, Punjab, Bihar, Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha and Tamil Nadu has declared black fungus as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Disease Act, hence making mandatory to report every Murcormycosis case to the state government.

Use of multivitamins

Dr. Sanjay Badada, Department of Endocrinology, PGI, Chandigarh, has warned against the rampant use of multivitamins, containing iron and zinc as an immunity booster, these can lead to increased free iron levels, this should not be encouraged, as mentioned in his latest research paper.

The research paper added, Voriconazole, which is often used to prevent opportunistic systematic fungal infections, is ineffective against mucorales, it can lead to Mucormycosis infections. Dr. Badead also has suggested that, Glucocorticoid-induced immunosuppression, hyperglycemia, lymphopenia predispose, the pathogenesis of mucormycosis.

He has also pointed out, injudicious use of glucocorticoids(Steroids) in Covid-19 cases without Hypoxemia( low oxygen level) or utilization of higher doses of glucocorticoids must be avoided.

As per the paper titled, intercepting the deadly trinity of Mucormycosis, diabetes and Covid-19 in India, has suggested that, high index of clinical suspicion must be kept for Mucormycosis, not only for those patients being treated for Covid-19 but also for those individuals who have been recovered from this serious infection.