India Declares Black Fungus As An Epidemic

India Declares Black Fungus As An Epidemic

The Centre has asked all the States to notify Black Fungus under Epidemic Diseases Act as the cases started rising day-by-day all over India.

According to a letter issued by the Centre’s Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal to all the states,

All government and private health facilities and medical colleges have to follow guidelines for screening, diagnosis, management of mucormycosis,

The brief extraction of the letter indicates that all the states should report all the suspected as well as confirmed “Mucormycosis” or “Black Fungus” cases to the Health Ministry and also declare it as an Epidemic. This instruction is issued under the “Epidemic Diseases Act”.

Though Mucormycosis or Black Fungus is rare, it is a potentially fatal infection. Further, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal has said

In recent times a new challenge in the form of a fungal infection namely mucormycosis has emerged and is reported from many states among COVID-19 patients especially those on steroid therapy and deranged sugar control,

This fungal infection is leading to prolonged morbidity and mortality among COVID-19 patients,

All government and private health facilities and medical colleges have to follow guidelines for screening, diagnosis, management of mucormycosis,

Mucormycosis or Black Fungus Symptoms :

  • Sinus or nasal blockage on one side of the face,
  • headache,
  • swelling or numbness,
  • toothache and loosening of teeth.

Body parts that get affected by Mucormycosis or Black Fungus :

  • Face,
  • Nose,
  • the orbit of the eye,
  • vision loss,
  • Brain,
  • can also spread to the lungs.

Mucormycosis or Black Fungus can lead to –

  1. blackening or discolouration over the nose,
  2. blurred or double vision,
  3. chest pain,
  4. breathing difficulties and
  5. coughing blood,

Doctors urge Diabetic and compromised immune system persons to be more careful with this.

Mucormycosis or Black Fungus treatment needs a multi-disciplinary approach that includes

  1. eye surgeons,
  2. ENT specialists,
  3. general surgeons,
  4. neurosurgeons,
  5. dental-facial surgeons,
  6. a special anti-fungal medicine and,
  7. Amphotericin.

Importantly Mucormycosis or Black Fungus is a condition that is seen in recovering Covid patients mostly.

As of now, Maharashtra has reported 1,500 cases and 90 deaths and Tamil Nadu has only 9 reported cases from the infection. Rajasthan and Telangana have already declared black fungus an epidemic.

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