green fungus Archives - Medically Speaking

BENGALURU: A paediatric physiotherapist from Bengaluru, who suffered from Covid-19 in April, is possibly the first patient in Karnataka and India to develop both black fungus (mucormycosis) and green fungus (aspergillosis). The patient, Dr Karthikeyan R, developed pain on his face, intolerable headache and nasal discharge while he was admitted to a hospital in Mysuru. He was later shifted to Bengaluru, TNIE reported.

“It did not look like a regular black fungus case as he had greenish brown salt deposits (crystals) in his nose. The fungal culture revealed green fungus. Endoscopy showed puss in his nose and CT and MRI scans detected fungal infection. With an endoscopic surgery through his nose, we drilled the bone and cleared the dead tissue. Anti-fungal medication alone would not have led to cure as black fungus affects blood supply to the tissue and grows on dead tissue. Post-surgery, he was given anti-fungal medication,” said Dr Prashanth R Reddy, Chief Consultant, ENT and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgeon, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital, Bengaluru.

The patient was not a known diabetic, but was diagnosed with it after Covid. During his treatment for coronavirus in Mysuru, he was on steroids. If not treated in time, his condition would have turned fatal. Dr Reddy said that the root cause of fungal infection is necrotising (tissue death) sinusitis (inflammation or swelling of the tissue lining the sinuses) caused by a Covid variant. Fungal infections grow extremely fast as well.The patient, Dr Karthikeyan, said “After 4-5 days in Mysuru, I showed improvement and was weaned off the ventilator and put on oxygen support. This is when I began to develop pain in the right side of the face and got terrible headache.”

A Covid survivor in Madhya Pradesh has been infected with ‘Green Fungus’ – possibly the first such reported case in the country, a senior doctor told reporters. ‘Green Fungus’ is the newest infection to join earlier reported cases of black, white and yellow fungus even after AIIMS chief Randeep Guleria warned against creating “confusion” with fungus colours last month.

As per a report by NDTV, the newest disease is an Aspergillosis infection, and more research was needed on the fungus, Dr Ravi Dosi, the head of the Department of Chest Diseases at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS) in Indore said.

Aspergillosis is a relatively uncommon infection and affects the lungs.

The 34-year-old patient, who battled Covid for two months before experiencing severe nosebleeds and fever, was suspected to have contracted the deadly Black Fungus or mucormycosis.

However, after tests, it was found that he has contracted ‘Green Fungus’ – an infection that had earlier been seen only as a “junior partner” in other cases, Dr Dosi said.

He added that the fungus, that is acting as an aggressor in possibly the first reported case in the country, has affected the patient’s lungs, sinuses and blood.

“The patient underwent Covid treatment for around two months. He went home and around 10-15 days started experiencing nosebleeds and fever. He came in for tests and we found that he is infected with ‘Green Fungus’,” Dr Dosi said.

The doctor added that the medication for ‘Green Fungus’ is different from Black Fungus. He also added that ‘colour coding’ of the various types of viruses must be done.

AIIMS Delhi chief Dr Guleria had last month warned against the “confusion” created by giving fungal infection different colours based on how they infected the body after reports emerged of the first case of ‘Yellow Fungus’ in the country.

“Naming the same fungus based on its colours, depending on the area of infection, creates confusion,” he said.

Black Fungus – the first of the coloured infections to be reported – is rare but is potentially fatal and has been declared an epidemic.

green fungus

Doc diagnosed with Black and Green fungus

First ‘Green Fungus’ case reported in Madhya Pradesh