BHUBANESWAR: With six new cases, the number of people infected with mucormycosis (also called as black fungus) has touched 109 in the state.
There is, however, no new death during the past one week.
Total 17 people have died of the fungal infection.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar has reported nearly half of the total cases detected in the state.
Treatment was underway to save the patients from the deadly infection.
The national institution has reported six deaths and three discharged cases till date.
Number of mucormycosis patients at AIIMS Bhubaneswar has touched 51 cases including five suspected cases till Saturday.
The patients were undergoing treatment at a separate ward created in the hospital’s ENT department.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar medical superintendent Sachidananda Mohanty said as many as 39 patients have undergone surgery during treatment so far.
Some patients have lost eyes due to black fungus infection, he added.
Niranjan Mishra, director of public health, said the state has received death figures from different hospitals treating black fungus cases.
“So far we have information regarding seventeen confirmed deaths.
No new death cases have been reported in the past one week,” he added.
As many as 10 persons out of 109 patients have been recovered from the disease.
“Our state has a smaller number of black fungus cases compared to other states.
Treatment of patients is underway smoothly,” said the public health director.
Mishra said there is a shortage of Amphotericin B drug (used for black fungus treatment) in the market.
“The Centre is regulating the supply of this drug.
Whatever the quota the Centre is releasing towards the states, we get this accordingly.
There is an issue of this black fungus drug shortage in the state,” he added.
Health professionals treating hospitals also flagged the shortage of Amphotericin B drug.
A senior doctor of a government hospital said they face problems sometimes due to shortage of this drug.
Posaconazole, another drug, has been recommended as a second-line treatment for black fungus.
The fungal infection first affects the nasal cavity, sinus and then affects the eyes and then goes to the brain.
The patient may lose vision due to stoppage of vascular supply.
The state government has declared the black fungus as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Act.
Required doctors, paramedics and nurses have been trained through three series of webinars by the capacity building team.