Patient infected with black fungus dies in Sulaimani

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A patient infected with the black fungus disease died in Sulaimani on Tuesday, the province’s health directorate said. 

The patient, a 78-year old man from Anbar province who had come to Sulaimani two months before, had contracted the coronavirus two weeks previously. Herish Sayid, the deputy head of Sulaimani’s health directorate, confirmed the patient’s death.

“This patient did not die from the coronavirus,” Sayid told Rudaw. “A while after the patient recovered from the coronavirus, he was hospitalized at Shar Hospital in Sulaimani. After staying there for some time and following some tests, it was suspected he had become infected with black fungus. He was receiving treatment over the past three weeks and was under continual monitoring by a team of doctors.”

Sayid stated it was confirmed the patient had been infected with black fungus disease, adding the man also had chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. 

He also said the patient had not recently gone abroad. It is unclear whether the cause of death was black fungus.

Goran Muheddin, a physician who had been treating the patient, told Rudaw the man was infected with the disease ten days ago. 

Mucormycosis, commonly known as black fungus disease, is a rare infection triggered by exposure to mucor mold. It is especially dangerous to people with diabetes and those with compromised immune systems. 

Doctors think black fungus disease can also be a greater risk to those being treated for the coronavirus, due to the lowered immunity caused by steroid treatment given to fight the virus.