Another black fungus case detected in Ctg

Another black fungus (Mucormycosis) patient has been identified in Chattogram and is being treated at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) since Friday.

This patient, unlike the previous one, did not test positive for Covid-19 but had contact with a coronavirus patient, said CMCH doctors.

The 45-year-old man has had diabetes for years, according to them.

Prof Dr Sujat Paul, head of the medicine department at CMCH, said the patient was diagnosed with Mucormycosis on August 5 and was admitted to the hospital the next day.

"After a thorough investigation, it was confirmed that he has been infected with Mucormycosis, a type of fungal infection commonly known as black fungus," he said, adding that the patient felt toothache and his face was swollen.

"Only Covid-19 patients are not necessarily vulnerable to Mucormycosis infection," Dr Paul said when asked why the patient was infected despite not being tested positive for coronavirus.

"This fungus is found all around us in nature, but it cannot infect healthy people's immune system," he explained.

"People with weakened immune system due to diseases such as cancer, renal failure, HIV, and diabetes are vulnerable to Mucormycosis," Dr Paul added.

"Covid-19 patients who have to take steroid for a long time and patients who receive long-term treatment in ICU are also vulnerable," Dr Paul said.

Contacted, Prof Dr AQM Serajul Islam Chowdhury, former head of dermatology at CMCH, said Mucormycosis is not contagious and healthy people should not be too worried about it.

He, however, urged everyone to maintain personal hygiene and follow health rules.

Earlier on July 26, a 60-year-old Covid-19 survivor was detected with Mucormycosis in Chattogram.

Her family has still been struggling to manage the essential drug "Amphotericin B" for the treatment due to shortage of this drug in the local market as it's mostly imported.

Public health expert Prof Dr Shakeel Ahmed, also head of Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases laboratory, said as the drug is very expensive and hard to find in local market, the government should supply it to public hospitals.

Asked, Dr Sheikh Fazle Rabbi, civil surgeon of Chattogram, said Amphotericin B is not supplied in the government hospitals as Mucormycosis is a very rare disease. He said he would talk to the higher authorities in this regard.