Kolkata youth in hospital with suspected black fungus – Times of India

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KOLKATA: A city youth was admitted to CMRI with suspected black fungus late on Thursday night. This is the first case in which black fungus-like symptoms have been found in a local resident. The patient’s samples will be sent for confirmatory biopsy and the state health department is tracking the case.
State health department said five cases of black fungus were recently reported in the state and only two were after Covid infection. On May 15, TOI reported four black fungus cases, but all from Bihar and Jharkhand.
“We have Amphotericin B so there should not be much problem for this drug. We are trying to develop some guidelines and are collecting data from all districts,” said state director of health services Ajay Chabraborty.
CMRI Hospital sources said the patient had been under treatment for Covid for about two weeks in another private hospital in Kolkata, but was referred here after showing symptoms of black fungus.
“Our ENT surgeon has evaluated the patient where a black lesion has been found in his nasal passage. Because of this, we highly suspect this is a case of black fungus. Biopsy reports will confirm it,” said R Shyam Krishnan, consultant intervention pulmonologist at CMRI.
The hospital said that once the report confirms it, Swasthya Bhawan will be intimated. Last week, a patient in her mid-60s was referred to CMRI with massive swelling in the eye. But she died before any confirmatory test for mucormycosis, or black fungus, could be done. Highly diabetic, this patient had suffered from Covid pneumonia and had steroid treatment.
“This fungus is normally found in the environment. While it cannot harm people with good immunity, those whose immune system is suppressed can be hit hard. Covid patients who are diabetic and have been on prolonged steroid treatment and high oxygen support are most susceptible,” said Anirban Dalui, public health specialist at Swasthya Bhawan.