700 Black fungus cases in 7 days in Karnataka

Karnataka has reported about 700 cases of mucormycosis or black fungus as it’s commonly called in the last 7 days alone, at the back of this development a special meeting was convened by the deputy CM Dr CN Ashwatha Narayana. Several experts who took part in the meet have been asked to track the source of the infection.

The committee will mainly look into the source of oxygen that was supplied to the patients who were found to have the black fungus infection. A team of microbiologists will start to work towards this from today. Dr Sampath Chandra Prasad Rao, skull surgeon, Manipal Hospital who made the presentation about mucormycosis to the expert committee has said that a possible probable reason for the surge in black fungus may be due to contamination either due to low-quality cylinders or low-quality piping systems in the ICU at hospitals or contamination at the industry level from where the oxygen is being supplied due to low standard sterilization or any other such reasons. He also doubted this may be also due to the usage of ordinary tap water in ventilators.

The microbiologists have been asked to now record the clinical history of the patient affected by mucormycosis and collect & analyse data on oxygen supply at the hospital, quality of piping & cylinders and quality of water used for ventilators, and also quality at the source point of supply at the industry/plant level. The state govt recently ordered that all Medical colleges and taluk hospitals should begin treatment of patients infected with black fungus.