TIWN
Lucknow, May 21 (TIWN) The Uttar Pradesh government, on Friday, declared the deadly infection, black fungus, as an epidemic. The state has so far registered 169 cases of mucormycosis and eight deaths due to it.
A few districts in Maharashtra reported the first instances of the disease, observed mostly in Covid patients. But now cases have been reported from Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and other states. Maharashtra has seen over 1500 cases and 90 fatalities from the disease- all Covid survivors. By Thursday, Haryana had reported 226 cases and Telangana 80. High numbers also came in from Gujarat and MP.
Growing numbers sets off alarm
The Centre on Thursday urged states to declare Black Fugus an epidemic by making it a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897.
It also asked states and UTs to make it mandatory for government and private hospitals to report all suspected and confirmed cases.
Responding to the Centre, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Gujarat and the UT of Chandigarh declared the disease an epidemic the same day. Telangana and Rajasthan had already taken the step a few days back.
Who are contracting black fungus?
The health ministry last week said the disease is being detected among patients who are recovering or have recovered from Covid-19.
Covid patients undergoing oxygen therapy in ICU, where a humidifier is used, are prone to fungal infections because of exposure to moisture.
Conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes, weakening of the immune system due to the use of steroids, prolonged ICU or hospital stay, voriconazole therapy (used to treat serious fungal infections) in Covid-19 patients increase the risk of mucormycosis.
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