15-yr-old boy gets infected with Black Fungus in Gujarat

"This is the first case of paediatric Mucormycosis in Ahmedabad," paediatrist Abhishek Bansal said on Saturday, reported by the news agency ANI.

The boy was discharged from hospital after recovering from Covid-19, but was later diagnosed with Mucormycosis, the doctor said, according to the ANI report.

His condition is stable now and he is likely to be released in two or three days, the doctor added.

Hindustan Times reported that the boy complained of symptoms after a week of recovering from Covid-19. He is undergoing treatment at Apple Children’s Hospital.

The fungus mostly attacks Covid-19 patients or those recovering from it , who have diabetes.  

The symptoms of the disease include blackening or discolouration over the nose, double or blurred vision, chest pain, difficulties in breathing and coughing blood. Experts have said people with diabetes are more susceptible to contract the infection.

Doctors have urged diabetics and people with compromised immunity to look for symptoms like blockage of sinus or nasal blockage on one side of the face, swelling or numbness, headache, toothache and loosening of teeth.

Over the past few weeks, India has seen a constant rise in Black Fungus cases in people recovering from Covid-19 or battling the infection.

On May 20,  the government directed all states to declare mucormycosis or "black fungus" an epidemic in a letter by making it notifiable under "Epidemic Diseases Act".

On Friday, the health department of Gujarat said that over 1,100 Mucormycosis patients, who had recovered from Covid-19 are undergoing treatment at government hospitals in four major cities of Gujarat--Rajkot (450), Ahmedabad (350), Surat (110) and Vadodara (225).