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As black fungus cases rise, scramble for anti-fungal drug
Gujarat government officials said close to 900 black fungus cases have been reported in the past month with a majority of them admitted in the past fortnight. MP has reported 281 cases of mucormycosis in the past week
As cases of black fungus or mucormycosis rise in various states, there is a mad scramble for anti-fungal drug Amphotericin B that is used to treat the disease. Close to 1,200 cases of the fungal disease, which results from post-Covid complications in people with diabetes who have been administered steroids for Covid treatment, have been reported from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh alone.
The rare infection is caused by a fungus named mucor, which is found on wet surfaces. General symptoms of the black fungus infection include headache, fever, pain under the eyes, nasal or sinus congestion, and partial loss of vision.
Gujarat government officials said close to 900 black fungus cases have been reported in the past month with a majority of them admitted in the past fortnight. About 40 deaths related to black fungus have also been reported from different parts of the state.
The cases of black fungus are high in Rajkot and in the Saurashtra region. Surat Medical College has created a separate ward for such cases. “A separate 250-bed mucormycosis ward has been established in Rajkot,” said Dr RS Trivedi, medical superintendent of Surat Medical College.
Mathur Savani, chairman of Surat-based Kiran Super Multi-speciality Hospital, said mucormycosis patients are coming to his hospital from many parts of Gujarat. “There is a huge surge in black fungus cases with many patients being treated at their homes,” he said.
Gujarat health department has purchased and distributed 5,000 injections worth ₹1 crore but with mucormycosis cases on the rise, many places are now reporting a shortfall of the drug, officials said.
In Madhya Pradesh, 281 cases of mucormycosis and 27 related deaths have been reported in the past week, officials said.
Special hospital units have been created in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Ujjain and Jabalpur for mucormycosis patients but non-availability of the anti-fungal drug is making their treatment tough. “We are performing surgeries of eyes and jaws daily to save lives but how we will control the spread without the drug?” said a doctor treating black fungus patients in Bhopal.
A patient in Jabalpur, Arpit Rai, said, “I was admitted 26 days ago for Covid-19 treatment but now I am suffering from mucormycosis. One of my eyes has been infected badly and I need Amphotericin B but it not available here.”
The injection is not easily available even in the capital city of Bhopal. AIIMS, Bhopal, director Sarman Singh said, “We have not received any guidelines and instructions regarding the treatment of black fungus from the Central government so we are not providing medicines to patients. They are arranging [it] themselves.”
MP health minister Prabhuram Chaudhary said, “We are trying to get the anti-fungal medicine from pharma companies in Gujarat. Soon, we should have 2,000 injections.”
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In Maharashtra, at least eight Covid-19 survivors have lost vision in an eye due to mucormycosis and 200 others are being treated, said Dr Tatyarao Lahane, who heads the state government’s Directorate of Medical Education and Research.
Rajasthan has reported over 23 cases of black fungus in the past 24 hours and they have been admitted in a special ward in Jaipur’s Sawai Madho Singh (SMS) hospital. Last year, from August to December, around 24 cases of black fungus were reported in the state.
Bihar has so far reported 32 cases of black fungus with 22 of them admitted in AIIMS,Patna. “I have already received calls of around 100 patients with mucormycosis for admission at our institute. We do not have as many beds,” said Dr Sanjeev Kumar, nodal officer for Covid-19 at AIIMS, Patna, where a 20-bed facility for black fungus patients is being created.
Three cases of black fungus were reported in West Bengal on Monday. Officials said the three patients were from Jharkhand and Bihar and were undergoing treatment at a private eye hospital in Kolkata.
Most of the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka have not reported any major spurt in black fungus cases. Kerala have reported a few of them, said state CM Paniyari Vijayan.
(With agency inputs)
