New Delhi: Centre on Thursday urged states and union territories to make black fungus or mucormycosis a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
The ministry has said this through a letter.
It has said that mucormycosis has emerged and is reported from many 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.
Following this, the ministry appealed the states and union territories to make mucormycosis a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, wherein all government and private health facilities, medical colleges will follow guidelines for screening, diagnosis, management of mucormycosis, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (Gol) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
“And, make it mandatory for all these facilities to report all suspected and confirmed cases to health department through district-level chief medical officer and subsequently to Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) surveillance system,” the ministry said.
Many people recovering from COVID-19 have of late been afflicted by black fungus – or mucormycosis – disease. The fungus invades the sinus and makes its way into the intraorbital and intracranial regions. If its progression is not checked early, 50-80% of patients could die.
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