Another black fungus patient detected in Chattogram

Another patient was diagnosed with mucormycosis, or black fungus, a rare fungal infection, in Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH).

Prof Dr Sujat Pal, Chief Medicine Department of CMCH, said the 48 years old patient was not infected with Covid-19 but came in contact with some Covid patients recently.

He was found infected by Black fungus on 5 August and admitted to the hospital on the following day, he said.

The patient's test reports confirmed the matter, the doctor added.

Earlier in July, another Black Fungus patient was detected in Chattogram.

The maiden case of mucormycosis was spotted on 25 May.

Pain and redness around the eyes and nose, a fever, headache, coughing, diarrhoea, black and bloody nasal discharge are the common symptoms of the infection.

Moreover, patients may feel pain on one side of the face and in the sinuses, blackish discolouration over the nose, tooth pain, and painful and blurred vision as the symptoms of the fungal infection, according to The Guardian.

Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that mucormycosis has a mortality rate of 54%, which can vary depending on the condition of the patients and the body part affected.

The underlying cause of the disease in India, according to a Firstpost report, is the unsanitary way of supplying oxygen to patients in many areas, coupled with the indiscriminate use of steroids in the treatment of Covid-19.

The disease is not infectious, which means it cannot be passed from person to person or animal to animal. However, it is transmitted by fungal spores in the air or in the environment, which are almost difficult to prevent.