Odisha Makes Black Fungus Notifiable Disease After Centre’s Directive

Bhubaneswar: Soon after the Centre asked the states to declare black fungus as an epidemic, the Odisha government issued a notice in this regard by including it as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act.

Health Minister Naba Kishore Das said Black Fungus or Mucormycosis has been declared as an epidemic disease in the State.

The Health and Family Welfare department in a statement said 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 Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry had directed the state governments to declare Black Fungus as a notifiable disease under the ‘Epidemic Diseases Act’ after deaths due to the fungal infection showed a rise in the country.