Health Ministry urges States and UTs to make Mucormycosis, a notifiable disease under Epidemic Diseases Act 1897

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Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has urged the States and Union Territories to make fungal infection Mucormycosis known as black fungus, a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897. The Ministry has asked all the government and private health facilities, medical colleges to follow guidelines for screening, diagnosis, management of Mucormycosis issued by the Union Health Ministry and Indian Council of Medical Research.

In a letter written to all the States and Union Territories, Joint Secretary in the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, Lav Aggarwal has asked the health facilities to make it mandatory to report all suspected and confirmed cases to the Health Department.

Expressing concern over this new health challenge, the Health and Family Welfare Ministry has said, cases of this fungal infection have been reported from many States among COVID-19 patients. It said, Mucormycosis is leading to prolonged morbidity and mortality amongst the COVID-19 patients. The Union Health Ministry has said that the treatment of this fungal infection requires a multidisciplinary approach consisting of Eye surgeons, ENT specialists, Neurosurgeon and institution of Amphotericin B as an antifungal medicine.