May 21: A total of four cases of White fungus have been reportedly found in Patna. One of the four patients is a known doctor of Patna. The health experts have stated that the White Fungus can be more dangerous than the Black Fungus.
What is white fungus?
According to health experts, White Fungus infection is more dangerous than black fungus infection as it affects the lungs as well as other parts of the body including nails, skin, stomach, kidney, brain, private parts, and mouth.
The information regarding white fungus cases in Patna was shared by Dr SN Singh, head of PMCH’s Microbiology Department. Dr Singh said told that four patients had symptoms like Covid-19 (Corona Patients) but they were not infected by the Coronavirus.
How does it affect one’s body?
The White Fungus can reportedly cause severe harm to lungs and body parts such as skin, stomach, kidney, private parts, mouth and nails. This White Fungus has shown similar lung infection to COVID-19 in the lungs of patients after a High-resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) test were performed on infected patients.
This new type of fungal infection was detected amidst the rise in cases of Black Fungal infection or Mucormycosis. The latter is caused by a group of moulds also called murcormycetes.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, this type of fungi lives in the environment. It can be found in soil, leaves, rotten wood or compost piles.
Also Read: COVID-19 patient succumbs to ‘black fungus’ in Assam
Health experts have raised concerns that Mucormycosis can cause serious damage if not treated. Some of the symptoms are facial pain, loss of vision, nasal congestion, pain in the eyes, swelled eyes and cheeks, black crust in the nose, bloody vomits and effects on mental status.
Doctors have been administering Rs 3,500 per dose anti-fungal infection injections to such patients every day for eight weeks. In March this year, the Drug Controller General of India, approved a bio-pharmaceutical firm Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited of Mumbai to use an anti-fungal medication named Liposomal Amphotericin B or LAmB. It is to be used on Mucormycosis patients.
