Rajasthan Government declares ‘Black Fungus’ an epidemic
The Rajasthan Government has declared Black Fungus an epidemic under ‘The Rajasthan Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020’.
Rajasthan Government on May 19, 2021, declared Mucormycosis disease as an epidemic in the state. The decision was taken as the state has been seeing a surge in the number of Black Fungus (Mucormycosis) cases in patients recovering from COVID-19.
The Rajasthan State Government declared this under ‘The Rajasthan Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020’. The notification was issued by Principal Health Secretary Akhil Arora.
As the cases of Black Fungus increase in Rajasthan, the state government has also instructed the hospitals in the state to limited the use of steroids while doing the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Rajasthan govt steps up to control the cases of Black Fungus:
• The Health Department of the state has constituted teams of medicine, ENT, and neurology specialists in all the major hospitals for the treatment of Black Fungus.
• Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has also instructed the special studies on this disease by a group of expert doctors.
• The government has set up a special ward at Sawai Mansingh Hospital in Jaipur for the treatment of patients suffering from Mucormycosis.
How the black fungus is caused during COVID treatment?
According to the Health Ministry, Black Fungus or Mucormycosis is caused by the steroids which are being administered in Coronavirus treatment. It is a complication caused by a fungal infection.
People catch Black Fungus or Mucormycosis by coming into the contact with the fungal spores in the environment.
As per the experts, giving large amounts of steroids to the COVID-19 patients reduces their immunity because of which they get an infection of this disease. People with diabetes are more prone to get the Black Fungus infection if they have been treated with steroids and are now recovering.
Black Fungus can also be developed on the skin after the fungus enters the skin through a scrape, cut, burn, or any other form of skin trauma.
The Ministry states that the Black Fungus disease is being detected among the patients who have recovered or have been recovering from COVID-19.
Cases of Black Fungus in other states:
• Reportedly, in Delhi so far more than 130 cases of the fungal infection caused by the steroid administered in the treatment of Coronavirus infection.
• The Haryana Government, on May 18, 2021, had also formed the regulations called ‘The Haryana Epidemic Diseases (Mucormycosis) Regulations, 2021.
• The cases of Mucormycosis or Black Fungus, so far, have been reported in various parts of the country including Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh.