NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday urged all the states and Union territories to declare Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, as an epidemic. A disease can be declared as an epidemic by making it a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897.
The Union health ministry in its letter to states and Union territories has also asked to make it mandatory for all government and private health facilities to report all suspected and confirmed cases to the health department and subsequently to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) surveillance system.
The letter stated that the treatment of this fungal infection requires multidisciplinary approach consisting of eye surgeons, ENT specialists, general surgeon, neurosurgeon, dental maxillofacial surgeon etc. and institution of Amphotericin B as an antifungal medicine, reported ANI.
The 1897 Act provides special powers to authorities that are required for the implementation of containment measures to control the spread of disease.
Under this, all government and private health facilities, medical colleges will follow guidelines for screening, diagnosis, management of mucormycosis, issued by the union health ministry and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The fungal infection has been reported in several states amongst Covid-19 patients especially those on steroid therapy and deranged sugar control.
“This fungal infection is leading to prolonged morbidity and mortality amongst Covid-19 patients,” the letter observed.
The rare fungal infection called ‘mucormycosis’ or ‘black fungus’ is on the rise in several parts of the country. As Rajasthan is seeing a surge in the number of cases of black fungus, the state government on Wednesday declared the disease to be considered as an epidemic.
On May 18, the Haryana government also formed regulations called, “The Haryana Epidemic Diseases (Mucormycosis) Regulations, 2021”.
Till now, cases of black fungus have been reported in various parts of the country including Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Bihar.
People catch mucormycosis by coming in contact with the fungal spores in the environment. It can also develop on the skin after the fungus enters the skin through a cut, scrape, burn, or other types of skin trauma.
(With inputs from ANI)
