Agra: Black fungus patients in Agra, who had recovered initially, are now being diagnosed with the infection again.
At least nine cases of Mucormycosis or black fungus, have been confirmed at the Sarojini Naidu Medical College (SNMC) in Agra.
All these patients, above 40 years old, had earlier tested positive for Covid-19.
Akhil Pratap Singh, district in-charge for black fungus treatment, said: "Over the past two months, 83 patients of black fungus surfaced in Agra district. Out of these, 41 have been cured of the infection. All these patients are called for check-ups after every 15 days.
"Following an MRI test, re-infection of black fungus was confirmed in nine of these patients. Notably, these patients did not show any symptoms of re-infection. All these patients are now being provided anti-fungal treatment."
Meanwhile, two more patients were diagnosed with black fungus infection in the lungs in the city.
These patients have been admitted at the medicine ward of the SN Medical College.
Mucormycosis, commonly called Black Fungus, isn't a new disease, it’s an aggressive fungal infection that enters the body through the nose.
But we usually don't get affected by it since our immunity takes care of it. It is an opportunistic disease seen in low immunity conditions such as diabetes, patients undergoing chemotherapy, immunosuppressed patients who have undergone transplant surgeries, etc.
The early symptoms begin with nasal congestion since the nose is the point of entry. As the fungus settles in the sinuses, it may cause sinusitis-like pain.
The fungus corrodes through the nasal cavity and enters the orbital cavity (the eye socket). The patient may complain of double vision, blurred vision or complete blindness. Within a day or two the eye bulges.
Strict control of Diabetes, rational use of steroids and 0.5% povidone Iodine nasal drops two to three times a day can reduce the incidence of this disease in these Covid times.
