Odisha Declares Black Fungus an Epidemic Disease

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Thursday declared Mucormycosis or Black Fungus as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act.

Health Minister Naba Kishore Das informed that Black Fungus has been declared as an epidemic disease in the State.

The Health and Family Welfare Department issued a statement informing Mucormycosis or Black Fungus has been included as a notifiable disease by exercising the power conferred by Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 (3 of 1897) until further orders.

The decision came after the Union Health & Family Welfare Ministry directed the state governments to declare Black Fungus as a notifiable disease under the ‘Epidemic Diseases Act’ as death cases due to this infection are rising in the country.

A few cases of Black fungus has been reported in Odisha. The state government had already constituted a committee to monitor the incident of such patients admitted to hospital, its detection and management of such cases if detected.