Rajasthan govt declares 'Black Fungus' an epidemic

Amid rising cases of Mucormycosis (black fungus), which is primarily affecting people recovering from COVID-19, the Rajasthan government on Wednesday declared it as an epidemic.

Currently, the state has around 100 black fungus patients and a separate ward has been made at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur for their treatment.

Mucormycosis or black fungus is caused by a group of moulds known as mucormycetes present naturally in the environment. It spreads through the nose and affects other parts of the body such as the eyes. Diabetics are said to be more vulnerable to the infection.

Besides this, patients with immunocompromised systems, or those who have undergone a transplant, are on immunosuppressants, or have been on a ventilator for a long time, are at higher risk of contracting this infection.

The Union Health Ministry states that the treatment of COVID-19 patients involves the intake of drugs like dexamethasone, which suppresses our immune system response. Due to these factors, COVID-19 patients face a renewed risk of failing the battle against attacks mounted by organisms such as mucormycetes.

Apart from Rajasthan, black fungus cases have also been reported in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, among others. Haryana government has already declared black fungus as a notified disease.

Delhi government has set up a four-member technical expert committee (TEC) to prevent the indiscriminate use of Amphotericin-B injection and to establish a transparent and efficient system of distribution of this drug to the needy and hospitalised COVID-19 patients. The drug is used in the treatment of black fungus or mucormycosis and is currently in short supply.

Rajasthan recorded 8,398 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the infection tally to 8,79,664. With 146 fatalities, the death toll in the state reached 7,080 on Tuesday, as per state data.

Source: livemint.com, indiatoday.in, hindustantimes.com

Written by Siddhant Sharma