AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guleria on Saturday said cases of Mucormycosis – commonly known as Black Fungus has suddenly increased and is causing more mortality.
During a press briefing Guleria said that 23 patients are being treated for the fungal infection at AIIMS and out of them, 20 are still Covid-19 positive. “Many states have reported more than 500 cases of Mucormycosis. This disease can affect the face, infecting nose, orbit of eye, or brain, which can cause even vision loss. It can also spread to the lung,” he said.
To prevent the mucormycosis infection, misuse of steroids must be stopped, said the director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Dr. Guleria added that such secondary infections, which include fungal and bacterial, are causing more mortality in recent days, even as Covid-19 cases keep on increasing. It is thus all the more important to properly follow protocols of infection control practices at hospitals, he said.
He said, “Mucormycosis spores are found in soil, air and even in food. But they are of low virulence and usually do not cause infection. There were very few cases of this infection before COVID. Now, a large number of cases are being reported due to COVID.”
At AIIMS, 23 patients are being treated for this fungal infection. Out of them, 20 are still COVID-19 positive and the rest are negative for COVID. Many states have reported more than 500 cases of mucormycosis, said Mr. Guleria.
“Misuse of steroids is a major cause behind this infection. Chances of fungal infection increase in the patients who are diabetic, COVID positive and those who are taking steroids. To prevent it, we should stop the misuse of steroids,” Mr. Guleria added.
Earlier in the day, the Haryana government declared mucormycosis a notified disease and the Odisha government constituted a seven-member state-level committee to monitor such cases in the state.
On May 12, two people had lost their lives due to the black fungus infection in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore.