Black fungus: Maharashtra reported highest deaths, fresh cases showing declining trend, says Centre

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Maharashtra has reported 1,129 deaths due to Mucormycosis or 'Black fungus', the highest in the country, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Thursday.

In a written reply to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anil Agrawal, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar said 2,813 patients are still under the treatment in Maharashtra.

As per official data, Gujarat is at the second spot after Maharashtra in fatalities due to Black Funguswith 656 deaths. The state has reported a total of 6,731 cases. As many as 334 deaths were recorded in Tamil Nadu and 310 in Karnataka.

As per data of the Union Health Ministry, Delhi has reported a total of 1,734 cases of Mucormycosis or 'Black fungus' till now, of which 928 are under treatment. Pawar has informed that as many as 252 people have died in the national capital due to Black Fungus.

Nagaland and Tripura have not recorded any deaths due to Black fungus since it was declared an epidemic, the Ministry said. With 9,348 cases, the maximum number of Black Fungus infections has also been reported in Maharashtra, followed by 6,731 cases in Gujarat and 4072 in Tamil Nadu.

Nagaland and Tripura remained at the bottom of the tally with one case each reported so far in both states. The overall data of the Ministry showed that of the total 45,374 black fungus cases reported so far, 20,277 patients are still under the treatment, while 4,332 have succumbed to the fungal infection.

Dr Pawar said Mucormycosis or Black Fungus disease, although not a new disease, was not a notifiable disease till May 2021 when the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare requested states to declare Mucormycosis a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 to get an objective assessment of Mucormycosis in the community.

She further informed, "Mucormycosis cases in the country for last two months is showing a declining trend."

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