Rising cases of black fungus a new cause of worry for India

Black fungus, a rare but dangerous fungal infection has added to the woes of many Indians. Multiple cases of black fungus also known as mucormycosis have been reported in the country. A rare disease in normal times, authorities say thousands have developed Mucormycosis — or black fungus — across India as it battles a Covid-19 wave that has killed more than 100,000 people in the past month. With coronavirus and other conditions, a dangerous phenomenon called a “cytokine storm” can occur where the immune system goes into overdrive, damaging organs.

Mucormycosis is caused by a set of micro-organisms known as mucormycetes, which are present naturally in the environment. Mucormycetes are seen mostly in soil and in decaying organic matter like leaves, compost, and piles.

Recently the Union Health Ministry also urged states and union territories to make black fungus a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. The union ministry stated that the infection is leading to prolonged morbidity and mortality amongst Covid-19 patients.

With multiple cases and deaths being reported across states in India due to black fungus, many states like Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu declared it as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act.

Maharashtra

The state has reported the highest number with 1,500 black fungus cases and 90 deaths.

Madhya Pradesh

The state has so far 575 cases of black fungus and claimed 31 lives.

Gujarat

The state of Gujarat is behind Maharashtra in terms of black fungus cases with 1,163 cases and 61 deaths.

Delhi

Delhi has also reported 203 cases of mucormycosis.

Bihar

Bihar has reported 103 cases and two deaths.

Experts say covid-19 patients more susceptible

Some medical experts suggest that unhygienic masks and poorly ventilated rooms could be contributing factors to the contraction of fungal infection. Many experts have clarified this and said that no clinical evidence has been established to this assumption.

Many experts have found out that those who are mostly contracting black fungus are the ones getting treated for Covid-19. Some doctors say the high use of steroids to combat the coronavirus has caused the black fungus explosion.

Black fungus most commonly affects the sinuses and lungs. It enters the nasal cavity, thrives there in the mucus, and then spreads into the eyes and finally the brain.