Black fungus affects intestines, pancreas of patients: Madhya Pradesh doctors

INDORE: Mucormycosis or black fungus has been detected in the intestines and pancreas of a few patients, besides affecting lungs and brain, doctors in Madhya Pradesh's Indore have claimed.

In the last one week, black fungus infection was found in the intestine and pancreas of two patients, who had recovered from COVID-19 last one month, said Dr Ajay Jain, head of the gastroenterology department at charitable Choithram Hospital.

"Among the infected patients is a 62-year-old man who came to us with a complaint of intestinal problems. When we operated on him, we found that a three-feet-long part of the small intestine was badly affected and we removed it. On examination, we found that it had been infected with black fungus," Dr Jain said.

In the second case, a patient complained of passing blood in motions and following a surgery, it was found that black fungus had infected his pancreas, he said.

Pulmonologist Dr Ravi Dosi of Shri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS) said, "Black fungus was detected in the stomach of two patients, while in eight other cases it was found in the lungs. This new problem is reported in the patients who recovered from the COVID-19."

According to officials, at present more than 500 patients suffering from mucormycosis are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Indore.