NEW DELHI: A leading private hospital in Delhi on Saturday said they recently found a rare case of mucormycosis in a 49-year-old patient post his recovery from dengue.

In a statement, the Apollo hospital said, the patient had come to the hospital, complaining about a sudden loss of vision in one eye, 15 days after his recovery from the vector-borne disease. Tests confirmed the patients had mucormycosis, a deadly fungal infection.

During the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year, a large number of cases of mucormycosis were reported.

Mucormycosis post dengue is a new observation and hence, patients with a recent history of dengue should remain actively updated about their health and consult a healthcare expert immediately after noticing any new symptoms, doctors at the hospital said.

Dr Suresh Singh Naruka, senior consultant (ENT), Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, who is leading the treatment of the patient, said, “A rare case of black fungus (mucormycosis) came into our view when the patient came to the hospital, reporting a sudden loss of vision in one eye post dengue fever. It is rare to see mucormycosis as a post-recovery complication in a dengue patient as this condition is generally seen in people who have a history of diabetes, compromised immunity and various other infections.”

The case reported at the Apollo hospital in south Delhi comes amid a huge spike in the number of dengue cases in the national capital.

According to a civic report on vector-borne diseases released on Monday, nine deaths and a total of 2,708 dengue cases have been recorded this season till November 6, which is the highest count since 2017 for the same period. Over 1,170 cases were logged in the first week of November.