46-year-old dies of suspected black fungus infection within an hour of being admitted to Madurai GH

A 46-year-old man from Ramanathapuram, who was diagnosed with mucormycosis, passed away at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on Friday. Hospital authorities said that the patient was brought in late and passed away within an hour of admission.

The man, who also had other comorbidities, including diabetes, was brought to the hospital with symptoms of running nose and cough and declared dead within an hour. The death is suspected to have occurred due to stage four mucormycosis, which affects the brain.

More than 27 such cases have been reported at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai in the last two months. Another suspected death was reported on Thursday in Thoothukudi as a 57-year-old welding workshop owner who was COVID positive, was reportedly diagnosed with black fungus. However, Health Department officials said that the patient had other comorbidities and the case was being investigated to check if he died due to black fungus.

As the Directorate of Medical Education is taking an account of these deaths, Director of Medical Education Dr Narayana Babu said that cases are being verified and it was unsure if the cause of death was mucormycosis. Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Saturday said that there are nine confirmed cases of mucormycosis in government hospitals across the State currently.

5 from Thanjavur infected with black fungus; 6 in Tiruchy show symptoms

Five people, including a nurse from Thanjavur, were diagnosed with black fungus (mucormycosis) on Saturday and are undergoing treatment, while samples of six others from Tiruchy with symptoms were sent for lab analysis.

Sources said, among the five, two men are receiving treatment at Thanjavur medical college while the nurse from Pudukkottai, working in Thanjavur, and two other men were admitted to a private hospital. Tiruchy Collector S Sivarasu said that the six with symptoms were under observation. “We have sent their samples for medical analysis and are awaiting results,” he said.