454 black fungus cases in Haryana

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Chandigarh: Haryana had recorded 454 black fungus or mucormycosis cases till May 24 with Gurgaon district reporting the maximum of 156 cases, health department data showed on Tuesday.

Hisar has reported 95 cases, Faridabad 55, Rohtak and Sirsa 27 each, Panipat 19 and Ambala 14, the data stated.

Pointing out that not all those in whom black fungus has been detected are Covid patients or diabetics, Health Minister Anil Vij said, “Cause of mucormycosis disease needs more research.”

Of the 413 black fungus cases analysed so far, 64 did not have Covid-19, 79 were non-diabetics, 110 had not taken steroids while the remaining were not on oxygen support, he said.

Mucormycosis is caused by a group of moulds known as mucormycetes present naturally in the environment. It spreads through the nose and affects other parts of the body such as the eyes.

According to experts, people whose immunity has been weakened due to Covid, diabetes, kidney disease, liver or cardiac disorders, age-related issues, or those on medication for auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to contract mucormycosis.

If such patients are administered steroids, their immunity weakens further, allowing the fungus to thrive.

Earlier, Vij had said the state government has made a requisition of 12,000 injections of Amphotericin-B, the drug used for treating black fungus, from the central government.

Twenty beds have been reserved in each medical college of the state for treating mucormycosis patients, he had said.

Patients from all districts are being referred to medical colleges for treatment.

Last week, the Haryana government had declared black fungus a notified disease, making it mandatory for doctors to report any cases of the disease to the chief medical officer of the concerned district.