Srinagar, June 12: Kashmir’s premier healthcare institute SKIMS reported the first case of black fungus (Mucormycosis) on Saturday taking the total tally of the confirmed cases of black fungus in J&K to 19.
Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo confirmed that a case of black fungus was confirmed from SKIMS.
“Today we have one case of black fungus which was reported from SKIMS, and total cases confirmed so far are 19 in J&K,” he said.
A senior SKIMS official while confirming the development said that a 35-year-old woman from Udhampur district who had recovered from Covid-19 showed symptoms of Mucormycosis like bilateral eye swelling and acute pain on left side and greenish discharge from her nose.
“The patient is having bilateral eye swelling and pain on the left side more than right with greenish discharge from the nose. She was recently diagnosed Type-2 diabetes,” said a doctor treating the patient.
Giving case details, he said, “For greenish discharge from the nose initially the patient was admitted at Udhampur and then went to Chandigarh for further treatment where an MRI on brain was done showing Mucormycosis treatment given but patient not recovered. Then they came to SKIMS on June 4.”
“Her MRI of brain was done which shows Mucormycosis which involves nose, orbit and frontal lobe of the brain (rhino-orbital cerebral Mucormycosis),” he said, adding that the patient was undergoing treatment.
“Currently, she is maintaining saturation on room air 94-95 percent, fresh issue left eye proptosis and loss of vision in left eye for which ENT consultation done biopsy was taken yesterday,” he said adding the ENT consultation was done for debridement
“The senior medicos of the institute are monitoring the case. We have shared the details of the confirmed black fungus patient with the health department,” said an official wishing not to be named. It is the third case of black fungus reported in Kashmir division.
So far, total 19 cases of black fungus have been reported in J&K and four fatalities have been attributed to this disease.
The first death due to black fungus was reported in Jammu division on May 22.
Following this, the Lt Governor’s administration in J&K declared Black Fungus (Mucormycosis) as an epidemic after a 40-year-old person succumbed to this infection.
Another suspected case is reportedly under treatment at a Srinagar hospital.
“Under Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 (Act No 3 of 1897), the government of J&K notifies Mucormycosis as an epidemic,” reads a notification issued by the government.
The notification has made it mandatory for all private and government health institutions to report suspected and confirmed cases to the Health department through District Level Chief Medical Officers and Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP).