Black fungus | Nearly 9,000 affected so far; Centre allocates over 23,600 vials of Amphotericin-B to states

Mucormycosis (known as black fungus), a rare life-threatening infection that’s being reported in some COVID-19 patients (Image: News18 Creative)

India has reported over 8,800 cases of back fungus infection, Union Minister Sadananda Gowda has said. He said 23,680 additional vials of Amphotericin-B, the drug used to treat Mucormycosis, have been allocated to all states and Union Territories.

"After a detailed review of rising number of cases of Mucormycosis in various states, a total of 23,680 additional vials of Amphotericin-B have been allocated to all states/UTs today. The allocation has been made based on the total number of patients which is approximately 8,848 across the country," the Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers tweeted.

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The post includes a break-up of the number of vials allocated to states.

After a detailed review of rising no. of cases of #Mucormycosis in various states, a total of 23680 additional vials of #Amphotericin- B have been allocated to all States/UTs today.

The Allocation has been made based on total no. of patients which is approx. 8848 across country. pic.twitter.com/JPsdEHuz0W

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— Sadananda Gowda (@DVSadanandGowda) May 22, 2021

States like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Telangana have been allotted 75 percent of the additional vials, he noted.

Read | Black fungus: States told to ensure infection prevention practices in hospitals to contain Mucormycosis

Gujarat has reported the highest number of black fungus cases (2,281) and has been allocated 5,800 vials, while Maharashtra, which has 2,000 cases, has received 5,090 vials.

While Andhra Pradesh has reported 910 mucormycosis cases with 2,310 vials allocated, Madhya Pradesh has 720 patients and will receive 1,830 vials.

Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, damages the nose, eyes, sinuses and sometimes even the brain.

Also read: All you need to know about COVID-19 therapeutics in India

It is a very rare infection that is caused by exposure to mucor mould which is commonly found in soil, plants, manure, and decaying fruits and vegetables.

It affects the sinuses, the brain and the lungs and can be life-threatening in diabetic or severely immunocompromised individuals such as cancer patients or people with HIV/AIDS.

Doctors in India are documenting an alarming number of cases of mucormycosis among COVID-19 patients and those who have recently recovered. They believe that mucormycosis may be triggered by the use of steroids, a life-saving treatment for severe and critically-ill COVID-19 patients.

The Centre has told the states and Union Territories to declare black fungus a notifiable disease, stating that the infection is leading to prolonged morbidity and mortality among COVID-19 patients.

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