Black Fungus Declared Notifiable Disease in Tamil Nadu

Black Fungus or Mucormycosis is declared as a notifiable disease in Tamil Nadu under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 as increasing number of people are contracting the infection post COVID-19.

Nine people including seven diabetic patients are found to have Mucormycosis (Black Fungus) in Tamil Nadu, following this the state is incorporating a 10-member Mucormycosis committee comprising deans, the Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH) and doctors from various departments, including ENT, diabetology, microbiology and medicine.

Tamil Nadu Health Secretary said, “Nine people have Mucormycosis in the state. Of the nine, seven patients are diabetic while the remaining two patients do not have diabetics. Some have infections in their eyes and treatment has been started for all them. There is no death reported till now”.

Mucormycosis (Black Fungal Disease): A Complication of COVID-19
Mucormycosis is spread by spores from the black fungus, Mycormycetes. It mainly affects people with a weak immune system and attacks the lungs and other organs of the body. It is also known as Black Fungal Disease.

‘It is mandatory to report all cases of Mucormycosis to the government.’

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection in which sinuses or lungs are affected after fungal spores in the air are inhaled. Though the infection is present even before COVID-19 infection, now there is significant increase in cases of ‘COVID19 associated Mucormycosis (CAM)’ resulting in panic among public.

This is due to broadly two reasons: in Covid-19 patients who have severe diabetes, the risk of fungal infection is high; and due to the indiscriminate use of steroids in the treatment for Covid-19.

Already the Health Ministry has made the infection notifiable under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 With several parts of the country reporting a surge in the supplementary fungal infection Mucormycosis in Covid-19 patients.

Black Fungus: India Reports 8,848 Mucormycosis Cases
India has recorded 8,848 cases of mucormycosis or black fungus, one of the rapidly spreading infections observed in those recovering from Covid-19.

Considering the nature of infection, Tamil Nadu has declared this as a notifiable disease to make mandatory for all hospitals to report all cases of Mucormycosis to the Director of Public Health.

New Anti-fungal Drug Posaconazole to Treat Black Fungus
MSN Laboratories Pvt Ltd (MSN) has launched Posaconazole in India to treat the black fungal disease, mucormycosis.

Source-Medindia

States, UTs Should Declare Black Fungus an Epidemic in India
The Union Health Ministry of India has appealed to all the states and Union Territories (UTs) to declare mucormycosis or black fungus as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Disease Act 1897.