Telangana declares black fungus as notifiable disease under epidemic act

Telangana government has declared black fungus or Mucormycosis as a notifiable disease under the epidemic act.

"Fungal infection Mucormycosis is hereby declared as a notifiable disease under Epidemic Diseases Act 1897. All Government and private health facilities shall follow guidelines for screening, diagnosis and management of Mucormycosis issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India and Indian Council of Medical Research," read a notification issued by Office Of The Director Of Public Health And Family Welfare dated May 19.

The state government also made it mandatory for all government and private health facilities to report all suspected and confirmed cases of Mucormycosis to the health department.

"It is also made mandatory for all government and private health facilities to report allsuspected and confirmed cases to Health Department. Medical Superintendents of all government and private hospitals shall ensure strict compliance and send the report on a daily basis attached in the form of the annexure to idsp@telangana.gov.in," it further said.

Meanwhile, Dr V S Alagu Varshini, IAS, Director, Department of Ayush, Telangana State said Mucormycosis is mostly affecting people who have recovered from COVID-19 infections or who have been on steroids or medication for a long time."

She said that among post-Covid patients, diabetics are most vulnerable to this fungal infection.

"The people who have been on steroids for the treatment of Covid and especially those who are suffering from comorbidities like diabetes are most vulnerable to Mucormycosis. When a person is diagnosed with this fungal infection, there is a particular procedure followed in Allopathic anti-fungal treatment that helps in removing the fungal infection but if this allopathic treatment adjoined with ayurvedic therapy it will ensure that the person's immunity is boosted from within," Varshini said.

Varshini said that black fungi are very common and can be found on rotten vegetables mostly. She said when the dosage of steroids increases, this steroid acts as immunosuppressants making the natural immune system stop attacking any foreign particles that enter the body making the body even more vulnerable to infections.

"Mucormycosis is a very serious infection, but the good thing is that it is treatable and moreover preventable. With the adjourned treatment process, the patient's health progress can be much faster," she added.

Rajasthan state government declared the disease as an epidemic in the state and 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.

As per the Union Health Ministry, Mucormycosis or black fungus is a complication caused by a fungal infection. 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.