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First mucormycosis death reported from north Bengal
West Bengal has reported 26 cases of mucormycosis and at least 12 people have died of it in the state
A 49-year-old woman has become the first person to die of mucormycosis, or black fungus, in north Bengal. She died at Siliguri in Darjeeling district on Tuesday after being detected with mucormycosis, which has emerged as a major Covid-19 complication.
West Bengal has reported 26 cases of mucormycosis and at least 12 people have died of it in the state.
“The woman...was operated for black fungus on May 24 and died at a critical care unit on Tuesday night,” said Radhey Shyam Mahato, head of the department of Eye Nose Throat at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.
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The woman, who had earlier tested positive for Covid-19, had developed swelling in the right side of the face and was suffering from fever, loss of vision, and facial pain.
Officials said this was the first mucormycosis case associated with Covid-19 during the second wave of the pandemic in north Bengal.
The Centre last month asked states and union territories to declare mucormycosis as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act-1897.
Susanta Roy, the officer on special duty, public health services, north Bengal, said there are four confirmed and one suspected case of mucormycosis in north Bengal.
