Doctors at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) in Patna, Bihar’s capital, have successfully removed mucormycosis, or black fungus, from the brain of a 60-year-old infected patient. The fungus was the size of a cricket ball, and the surgery on Friday, led by Dr. Brajesh Kumar, lasted three hours.
Anil Kumar, a Jamui resident, is currently in good health. Kumar had recently recovered from a coronavirus infection (Covid-19) but had been experiencing dizziness and fainting for the past few days. He was then referred to IGIMS, where mucormycosis was discovered.
The fungus entered Kumar’s brain through his nose, but did not spread to his eyes, according to Dr Manish Mandal, the medical superintendent of IGIMS, who spoke to Livehindustan on Saturday. As a result, the 60-year-eyes old’s were spared during the procedure. Doctors have had to remove the eyes in the majority of patients in similar cases.
Mucormycosis, which is caused by fungal spores and has serious consequences, has been reported in over 500 cases in Bihar so far. On May 22, the state government declared mucormycosis an epidemic. When people come into contact with fungal spores in the environment, they become infected with black fungus. The disease is most commonly found in Covid-19 patients who have recovered, diabetic patients, and those with low immunity.
Doctors in Bihar have recently expressed concern about a severe shortage of Amphotericin B, which is used to treat mucormycosis.
Meanwhile, the number of people infected with Covid-19 has risen to 716,296 in Bihar, with 9466 people dying and 701,234 recovering. The number of active cases has decreased to 5596. The state government is under fire for allegedly underreporting viral disease deaths, with opposition parties accusing the government of botching the fight against the pandemic.
