Black fungus declared as notified disease in India
With the cases of Mucormycosis, commonly known as the black fungus, seeing a steady rise across the country amid an-already ravaging second wave of the coronavirus disease pandemic, several states declared the fungal infection a notified disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
The Union health ministry has urged states and Union territories to make black fungus a notified disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, stating that the infection is leading to prolonged morbidity and mortality among Covid-19 patients. A notified disease is required by law to be reported to the government authorities. The collection of information allows the authorities to monitor the disease and provide early warning of possible outbreaks.
Here is a list of states that have declared Mucormycosis a notified disease:
1. Telangana—Soon after the Centre’s notification last Thursday, Telangana was the Mucormycosis a notified disease.
2. Odisha--The Odisha government, too, declared Mucormycosis as a notified disease on May 21 after the state reported its first case on May 10.
3. Rajasthan--Chief minister Ashok Gehlot has said that the black fungus infection has been notified as an epidemic in Rajasthan and said that the health department is required to have complete details of patients infected by it.
4. Karnataka--Karnataka health minister K Sudhakar declared black fungus a notified disease.
5. Tamil Nadu--The Tamil Nadu government has declared black fungus a notified disease under the Public Health Act.
6. Uttarakhand--The Uttarakhand government declared black fungus as a notified disease in the state under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. The state government has also issued an SOP for distribution of Amphotericin B, a drug used in treating black fungus patients.
7. Bihar--Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar announced black fungus as a notified disease under the provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act.
8. Madhya Pradesh--The Madhya Pradesh government declared black fungus a notified disease in the state under the provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Madhya Pradesh Public Health Act.
9. Gujarat--According to a statement by Gujarat CMO, the state declared black fungus an epidemic in the state. “Government and private hospitals/medical colleges treating the disease will have to follow guidelines by Union health ministry as well as ICMR for screening, diagnosis and treatment," the statement read.
10.Maharashtra--Maharashtra is the latest state to classify black fungus as a notified disease.
11.Andhra Pradesh--The Andhra Pradesh government has notified mucormycosis under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
Source: Hindustan Times