New Delhi announced on Wednesday that India has recorded more than 45,000 cases of "black fungus" over the past two months, a fungal disease with a mortality rate exceeding 50%, particularly affecting those who have contracted COVID-19. Health Minister Bharati Pravin Pawar stated in parliament that more than 4,200 people have died due to mucormycosis, a typically rare disease that has spread in India among individuals who have recovered from COVID-19.
This aggressive fungal disease has led surgeons to remove the eyes, noses, and jaw bones of some patients to prevent the infection from reaching the brain. According to the government, the state of Maharashtra (Western India) has been the hardest hit, recording 9,348 cases. Mucormycosis, known as black fungus, is caused by fungi that can enter the body through the respiratory system or skin injuries.
This highly aggressive fungal disease claims the lives of half of those infected within a few days, prompting surgeons to perform drastic measures to contain the infection. Those most at risk include diabetic patients, individuals with weakened immune systems, and organ transplant recipients. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, India only recorded about 20 cases of this disease annually. Experts attribute the dramatic increase in cases to the overuse of steroids in treating COVID-19 patients.
In response to the rising number of black fungus cases, the Indian government declared the disease an epidemic in May. According to government figures, the number of infections peaked in May and June before significantly declining. Furthermore, the Hindustan Times reported an increase in infections among children in the state of Rajasthan (Northern India).
