Pune, May 25: At least 564 people are currently undergoing treatment for mucormycosis in Maharashtra's Pune district, while 27 patients have died of the ailment so far, a senior official said on Tuesday. Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, is a serious infection which has been found in several COVID-19 patients in Maharashtra and some other states.

In order to identify suspected cases of mucormycosis, the Pune district administration has started screening COVID-19 survivors in rural areas to ensure they get necessary medication and are timely referred for further treatment, he said.

According to the data shared by the district administration, 591 cases of mucormycosis have so far been reported from 43 hospitals here, including the state run-Sassoon General Hospital. Mucormycosis in Maharashtra: 2,245 Cases of Black Fungus Reported, Patients To get Free Treatment at Govt Hospitals Under Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana.

"Of the 591 cases, Pune district alone accounts for 499 infections, while the rest were patients from other districts who came for treatment here," Additional District Collector Vijaysinh Deshmukh said.

Out of these patients, 564 patients are currently undergoing treatment and the rest have recovered, he said. Besides, at least 27 people have succumbed to the infection in the district so far, he said.

At least 198 mucormycosis cases, the highest, were found in the Sassoon General Hospital, while the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, the Ruby Hall Clinic, the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (Pimpri) and the Noble Hospital have reported 71, 42, 40, and 36 cases, respectively, the official said.

As per the data shared by the district administration, at least 195 patients were in the age group of 18 to 45, and 247 between 45 and 60 years of age. There was also several patients above the age of 60. In 351 cases, patients suffering from the infection were administered steroid therapy, it said. COVID-19 Vaccination in India: Telangana Permits Private Hospitals To Vaccinate People in 18-44 Age Group.

According to the data, 383 patients were diabetic, 105 were immuno-compromised and 69 had co-morbid conditions. It also stated that in 302 cases, the patients had received oxygen support prior to the onset of mucormycosis.

"We recently started a drive to screen people who have recovered from COVID-19 to identify the suspected cases of mucormycosis. The idea is to identify the cases at an early stage to ensure timely tracing and treatment," Deshmukh said.

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