Mucormycosis cases make surprising comeback in Bengaluru

Mucormycosis or black fungus cases that were prominent during the second Covid wave have returned, at least in one private hospital in the city.

Surprisingly, diabetes and risk factors like sharing of oxygen cylinders and unhygienic treatment facilities that were the possible causes of black fungus in the second wave are absent in the fresh cases.

Dr Santosh Shivaswamy, Senior Consultant, ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon, at Manipal Hospitals, Hebbal, told DH: “Murcormycosis and Aspergillum are present in black fungus cases. Murcormycosis is more aggressive than Aspergillus. The treatment modalities for both types of fungus are anti-fungal medication, intravenous injection for the aggressive infection, and tablets for the less aggressive infection. Being more aggressive, Murcormycosis was highlighted in the Covid second wave.”

According to Dr Shivaswamy, there is no point in doing RT-PCR tests as these patients don’t exhibit symptoms of Covid-19.

“We cannot test them for a past infection. They are bound to have developed antibodies after taking two doses of vaccination. It is rare to have back-to-back infections. The causal factors are something we need to study, maybe a new Covid variant is at play.”

Mucormycosis cases in Manipal Hospitals, Hebbal

1) 65-69-year-old woman underwent surgery in mid-March | Diagnosis: Mucormycosis

2) 25-30-year old woman underwent surgery in first week of April | Diagnosis: Aspergillosis

3) 65-70-year-old woman underwent surgery in mid-April (this week) | Diagnosis: Aspergillosis

4) 55-60-year-old man scheduled to undergo surgery | Diagnosis: Fungal sinusitis

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