Black Fungus- Additional 29,250 vials of Amphotericin- B allocated to states

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri DV Sadananda Gowda announced that the additional 29,250 vials of Amphotericin- B drug, used in treatment of Mucormycosis, have been allocated to all the States today. "The allocation has been made based on the number of patients under treatment which is 11,717 across the country", he said on social media.

 

 

Earlier, additional 19,420 vials of Amphotericin- B were allocated on 24th May and 23,680 vials of the drug were supplied across the country on May 21. In the recent days, some States and UTs have reported an increasing number of patients suffering from Mucormycosis, popularly known as Black Fungus.

 

Taking a note of the secondary and opportunistic fungal infections which are getting amplified due to the present surge in COVID cases and Mucormycosis becoming a cause of concern, Union Ministry of Health has advised all States to review their preparedness for infection prevention and control, as well as hygiene and sanitation in hospitals.

 

 

 

Hundreds of cases of Black Fungus, which affects the eyes, nose, jaws, and could even spread to the brain, have been reported from across the country in the aftermath of COVID-19 infections, following which the centre asked states to notify it under the Epidemic Diseases Act.

 

The disease is caused by organisms called mucormycetes, which enter the body through breathing or skin injuries. These are naturally present in soil and decaying organic matter, but once inside humans, they can infect air pockets behind the forehead, nose, cheekbones and between the eyes and teeth.

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