After black and white fungus, yellow fungus case now reported in India

Symptoms of yellow fungus include lethargy and reduced appetite, a doctor says

A doctor examines a patient who recovered from Covid-19 and is now infected with black fungus at a hospital in Hyderabad on 21 May, 2021 (AFP via Getty Images)

As cases of black and white fungus in Covid-19 patients continue to rise, India has now reported a case of yellow fungus in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

The case has been reported at a hospital in the Ghaziabad district of the state, which neighbours the city of Delhi.

Dr BP Tyagi, an ENT specialist, said that a 45-year-old man has contracted black, white and yellow fungi infections. “Yellow fungus is generally found in reptiles. I found this for the first time in humans,” he told news agency ANI.

He said that the fungus can be treated by the drug Amphotericin B, but the treatment will take longer compared to those for black and white fungi infections.

Dr Tyagi said symptoms of yellow fungus infection include lethargy in the body and a reduced appetite.

The patient’s son told news agency IANS that his father was undergoing treatment for Covid-19 and he was recovering well. “In the last two-three days, his eyes started swelling and suddenly they closed altogether. There was nose bleed and urine leak,” he said.

The case comes as India is battling a rise in black fungus infections in Covid-19 patients amid a shortage of Amphotericin B. The health ministry said on Monday that 5,424 cases of black fungus, or mucormycosis, have been reported in India so far.

Out of 5,424 cases, 4,556 patients have a history of Covid-19 infection, said health minister Harsh Vardhan. Health officials said they are working to resolve the shortage of the anti-fungal drug.

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection caused by a group of moulds called “mucormycetes” that are present in the air. Once inhaled, the infection can affect the sinus cavities, lungs, and chest cavities of a patient.

India’s health ministry has said that people who have diabetes or a weak immune system, including after steroids treatment for Covid-19, are at a higher risk of catching mucormycosis.

Meanwhile, cases of white fungus have also been reported in India from the states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh . Doctors have said that this fungal infection is also caused by low immunity or if people come in contact with things that contain moulds.