What is the news:

Black fungus has been declared a notified disease in the state of Haryana.

Now, if a patient of black fungus is diagnosed in any government or private hospital of the state, it will have to be reported to the CMO of the local district so that appropriate steps can be taken to prevent the disease.

What is Black Fungus (mucormycosis)?

Mucormycosis is a very rare infection. It 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 believe mucormycosis, which has an overall mortality rate of 50%, may be being triggered by the use of steroids, a life-saving treatment for severe and critically ill Covid-19 patients. Steroids reduce inflammation in the lungs for Covid-19 and appear to help stop some of the damage that can happen when the body's immune system goes into overdrive to fight off coronavirus. But they also reduce immunity and push up blood sugar levels in both diabetics and non-diabetic Covid-19 patients. It is thought that this drop in immunity could be triggering these cases of mucormycosis.