Black Fungus | Over 11,000 Mucormycosis cases in India; Gujarat, Maharashtra worst affected

A graphic representation of the black fungus affecting COVID-19 patients (Image: News18 Creative)

India has registered 11,717 cases of Black Fungus infection or Mucormycosis till May 25, with maximum cases being reported from Gujarat, followed by Maharashtra.

While Gujarat has logged 2,859 Black Fungus cases so far, Maharashtra has reported 2,770 cases, followed by 768 Mucormycosis cases in Andhra Pradesh, 752 in Madhya Pradesh, and 744 in Telangana. Together, these five states account for more than 65 percent of India’s total Black Fungus caseload.

According to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the National Capital has reported 620 Black Fungus cases so far. But Union Minister Sadananda Gowda said on May 26 that there have been 119 Mucormycosis cases in Delhi.

Mucormycosis, though not new to India, was not as rampant as it is at present. Health experts believe that the over-use of steroids, coupled with low immunity, and immune suppression following COVID-19 recovery has made people more vulnerable to contracting the Black Fungus infection.

In view of the rapid increase in the number of Black Fungus cases being reported, 11 states across the country have so far declared it a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Disease Act, including Telangana, Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal, and Karnataka.

Sharing data on Black Fungus disease on Twitter on May 26, Union Minister Sadananda Gowda said 29,250 additional vials of the Amphotericin B drug being used to treat Mucormycosis have been distributed between all states and UTs, depending on the number of cases reported by each.

Additional 29,250 vials of #Amphotericin- B drug, used in treatment of #Mucormycosis, have been allocated to all the States/UTs today.

The allocation has been made based on the number of patients under treatment which is 11,717 across the country.#blackfungus#AmphotericinBpic.twitter.com/j0LyR6GLjH — Sadananda Gowda (@DVSadanandGowda) May 26, 2021

While 7,210 vials of Amphotericin B have been allocated to Gujarat, 6,980 were given to Maharashtra, 1930 to Andhra Pradesh, 1,910 to Madhya Pradesh, and 1,890 to Telangana.