What Is White Fungus? New Infection Detected After Black Fungus

After the cases of black fungus infection cases started to surface, a few new cases have been recently detected where individuals started showing a white fungus infection.

A total of four cases of White fungus have been reportedly found in Patna. One of the four patients is a known doctor of Patna. The health experts have stated that the White Fungus can actually be more dangerous than the Black Fungus.

How does it affect one's body?

The White Fungus can reportedly cause severe harm to lungs and body parts such as skin, stomach, kidney, private parts, mouth and nails. This White Fungus has shown similar lung infection to COVID-19 in the lungs of patients after a High-resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) test were performed on infected patients.

Nodal Officer for COVID-19 at All India Institute for Medical Science, Patna, Dr Sanjeev Kumar said, "There is no evidence of the white fungus so far. There is evidence for the cases reportedly detected. There is no information about the infected patients. What is their biopsy report? Where are they admitted?"

This new type of fungal infection was reported amidst the rise in cases of Black Fungal infection or Mucormycosis. The latter is caused by a group of molds also called murcormycetes.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, this type of fungi lives in the environment. It can be found in soil, leaves, rotten wood or compost piles.

Several health experts have raised concerns that Mucormycosis can cause serious damage if not treated. Some of the symptoms are facial pain, loss of vision, nasal congestion, pain in the eyes, swelled eyes and cheeks, black crust in the nose, bloody vomits and effects on mental status.

Doctors have been administering Rs 3,5oo per dose anti-fungal infection injections to such patients every day for eight weeks. In March this year, the Drug Controller General of India, approved a bio-pharmaceutical firm Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited of Mumbai to use an anti-fungal medication named Liposomal Amphotericin B or LAmB. It is to be used on Mucormycosis patients.