...And Now Black Fungus

Mucormycosis

- Sonali Acharjee

A CONTINUING NIGHTMARE An attendant with a black fungus patient at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College in Jabalpur, MP, May 21

Towards the end of April, 27-year-old Shalu Rane’s parents were overjoyed to learn their daughter had fully recovered from a serious bout of Covid-19. Rane had been in Mumbai’s Sion Hospital for a week. However, two weeks later, the family received a jolt when Rane had to undergo an emergency three-hour eye surgery. Eventually, the eye had to be removed to prevent the fast-progressing mucormycosis from affecting her brain tissue.

“Mucormycosis is one of the deadly fungi that affect humans. It is an invasive species that can spread from the nose, the sinus to the brain tissue, affecting blood vessels and the eye region. Once the gangrene sets in, the affected area turns black, hence the name ‘black fungus’,” says Dr Sanjay Sachdeva, principal director, ENT, at the Max Super Speciality Hospital in Saket, Delhi.