Pune Metropolitan Region records 69 fresh mucormycosis cases this month

PUNE: The Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) recorded 69 fresh cases of Covid-associated mucormycosis (CAM) and 13 casualties between August 1 and August 25.

Of these, 25 cases were registered just last week. Doctors treating these patients said that most of them were being referred to hospitals in Pune from neighbouring districts.

“Of the 25 cases recorded last week, 17 were from state-run Sassoon hospital. Hospitals in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits and rural parts of the district reported four cases each during the same period,” stated the latest report of the district administration.

Sassoon hospital’s doctors have confirmed that 95% of fresh cases being treated at the facility were referred from various adjoining districts — Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Ahmednagar, and even Beed and Osmanabad.

“Only 5% of fresh CAM cases are from Pune now. A total of 95% are referred cases,” said ENT surgeon Samir Joshi. Joshi is the head of department and professor of ENT at Sassoon.

In addition to the fresh cases, a sizable number of old patients are confronting disease recurrence days or months after recovery.

A substantial number of these patients need repeat surgical clearance (debridement) even in areas like frontal sinuses, where recurrences should not occur. This indicates incomplete clearance of the damaged tissues during the first surgery, experts have said.

“The recurrence is a rule rather than an exception in mucormycosis. Currently, the incidence of recovered patients requiring a revision operation is quite high,” Joshi said.

Regular follow-up of the patient after surgical management is key. The rampant presence of diabetes among the affected individuals adds to the chances of recurrence. Zero recurrences for six months can be safely termed as full recovery from mucormycosis, experts have said.

“The fresh cases of CAM have significantly gone down at private hospitals over the past two months,” said ENT surgeon Rajeev Yande.