JAIPUR: In the last seven days, at least 50 persons succumbed to mucormycosis or black fungus in the state.
The total number of deaths due to black fungus has risen to 128 from 74 in this period.
Doctors claimed that the mucormycosis patients can be saved if they get treated at an early stage.
But many have been coming to hospitals only after their symptoms become severe and health deteriorates.
The number of mucormycosis cases in the state rose from 1,524 to 1,848 in the past seven days.
Out of these, 388 persons had both fungus and Covid at the time of hospital admission.
Some 1,134 patients were found to have only mucormycosis at and tested Covid negative.
The mortality rate due to mucormycosis increased from 5% to 7% from a week ago.
Doctors said that a person can have both mucormycosis and Covid and it could also develop as a post-Covid complication going by the cases reported, wherein patients have been infected by the fungus after recovering from Covid.“Before Covid, mucormycosis cases were sporadic.
But now, the cases have increased.
The fungus and its spores spread to nasal tissues, sinuses, eyes and brain.
If a patient comes to hospital early with symptoms, the chances of recovery are quite high.
But if he comes after the condition deteriorates, his/her chances of recovery come down,” said Dr Tarun Ojha, head of the ENT department at a private hospital.
While mucormycosis is a known ailment, there is now a surge in such cases.
Doctors have to conduct surgeries to reduce the load of the fungus on affected parts.
In Bikaner’s PBM Hospital, which reported 85 cases of mucormycosis, doctors are taking a conservative approach to save those who have infected eyeballs.
“Our approach in dealing with such mucormycosis cases is quite conservative.
Our focus is on saving the life of the patient.
We also try to save the eyeball or salvage it.
We have to perform exenteration or detaching eyeballs in some severe patients.
But in mild cases, we give injections of Amphotericin B first and, if they still require an eye operation, we perform it.
So far, only seven excisions of eyeballs and surrounding tissues have been done in our hospital,” said Dr Anju Kochar, nodal officer, mucormycosis, senior professor, department of ophthalmology, SP Medical College.
In the state, cases of mucormycosis have been increasing and, now, 77 hospitals have been permitted by the state government to treat mucormycosis patients since it is now a notifiable disease.