Black fungus new scourge in Karnataka districts

KEY STORY

• The number of mucormycosis cases are mounting across the state, with districts reporting a rash of post-Covid fungal infections in the past few days. Kolar, Vijayapura, Mangaluru, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Ballari, Shivamogga, Koppal and Tumakuru are seeing a rise in cases. Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru, MMC in Mysuru, SIMS in Shivamogga, GIMS in Kalaburagi, KIMS in Hubballi and KMC in Manipal have been identified as regional centres to treat mucormycosis.

• A whopping 26 cases of black fungus were reported in Vijayapura district on Monday. According to the district administration, “In all, 26 black fungus cases were identified in various Covid-19 hospitals — 15 in BLDE Hospital alone, five in Ayush Hospital, two each in Chowdry and Yashoda hospitals, and one each in Al-Ameen and Ashwini hospitals. All the infected developed mucormycosis after recovering from coronavirus. However, there have been no deaths due to the fungal infection.”

• Vijayapura DC P Sunil Kumar told TNIE, “A separate ward has been opened in BLDE Hospital to treat people infected with black fungus. I have directed hospitals to treat and take measures as per guidelines.”

• “We are yet to receive drugs for the district hospital, and will wait and see how drugs will be supplied from the government to private hospitals.”

• Karnataka ENT Hospital and Research Centre in Chitradurga, the lone specialised centre for treating these patients, has been receiving innumerable calls seeking treatment. Many patients are approaching Dr Prahallad and his team for treatment at an affordable rate, compared with Bengaluru.

• Dr Prahallad told TNIE that the number of patients with mucormycosis is rising ever since the Covid-19 second wave broke out. Patients with co-morbidities, or who have undergone high-flow oxygen are victims of this infection. Slight negligence may turn fatal, as there are chances of the fungus growing rapidly in the respiratory tract and even reaching the brain, resulting in the death, he said.

Cases up in Kolar

• Treating patients is turning into a challenge for doctors in R L Jalappa Hospital, with the number of cases going up to 15. A senior specialist at the hospital told TNIE that said a separate ward has been arranged for patients infected with black fungus. A team of doctors on Monday operated on five patients, with the surgeries taking three to four hours.

• All the patients are stable and responding to treatment, however, one patient was diagnosed with bilateral blindness and was not stable either, he said.He said medicine to treat the patient is not available.Mohan, whose uncle is being treated in RL Jalappa hospital, managed to arrange a few injections with great difficulty in Bengaluru, and has approached relatives and friends in Chennai and Hyderabad.

• Pharmacist Jayaraman said he has been getting several calls from patients’ families for the injection, but was unable to track the medicine. Kolar DC Dr Selvamani said that post-Covid patients who find their vision blurred should immediately rush to hospital for treatment.

CONCLUSION

• Chikballapur DC R Latha said there are no such cases in Chikkaballapura. A few suspected cases of black fungus were reported in government and private hospitals in Dakshina Kannada district. DHO Dr Kishore Kumar said that two patients with symptomatic infections are admitted at District Wenlock Hospital, besides a few suspect cases in private hospitals. Dakshina Kannada DC Dr Rajendra K V told TNIE that as of now, four suspect cases are reported in the district.

• According to sources, one patient is undergoing treatment at a private hospital at Kankanady and five others at another hospital at Deralakatte. However, when TNIE contacted the private hospital nodal officer, he said no cases of black fungus were reported. Sources say that four patients have reportedly died of the infection, which district health officials denied.