Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said some instances of Mucormycosis, a rare but dangerous fungal infection, found in Maharashtra and Gujarat since the outbreak of COVID-19 last year, have been reported from some parts of the state.
"There have been some instances of the fungal infection, found in Maharashtra and Gujarat, in Kerala also. State medical board has collected samples and further tests are being conducted," Pinarayi told reporters.
To read more on Black Fungus, Explained: What is ‘Black Fungus’ and how dangerous it is for COVID-19 patients?
The Infectious Disease Department of the Medical College here has also taken note of the development, he said.
Also known as black fungus, the infection has been found in some recovering and recovered coronavirus patients from some states.
As many as 52 people have died due to mucormycosis in Maharashtra since the COVID-19 outbreak last year.
Mucormycosis can turn dangerous if left untreated. Recent reports suggested that the deadly fungal infection was also found among COVID-19 patients across hospitals in Delhi, Pune and Ahmedabad.
The fungal infection is caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes. These molds live throughout the environment. Mucormycosis mainly affects people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body's ability to fight germs and sickness.
The common symptoms associated with the disease include headache, facial pain, nasal congestion, loss of vision or pain in eyes, swelling in cheeks and eyes and black crusts in the nose. The US Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention estimates Mucormycosis with an overall all-cause mortality rate of 54 per cent.
People with diabetes, those on steroids and humidified oxygen for a long time, and Covid patients with pre-existing comorbidities are the most at risk. Others include patients like those post chemotherapies, those on long-term immunosuppressive drugs.
