Black fungus declared epidemic in Jammu and Kashmir

Picture credit: PTI

Srinagar: UT authorities of Jammu & Kashmir on Monday (May 24) have declared black fungus or mucormycosis as an epidemic disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act- 1897.

As per the notification, the UT’s Health and Medical Education department has declared black fungus as an epidemic disease.

This comes after the Government of India directed the states and Union territories to make black fungus a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act.

Jammu and Kashmir reported its first death due to black fungus in government medical college Jammu who was COVID-19 recovered patient.

There is one patient suspected of this disease who is admitted in a hospital.

According to a top doctor of Kashmir, a surgery of a black fungus infected patients was successfully done last year in Srinagar.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam on Sunday said the administration has decided to accelerate the vaccination of people under the 18-45 age category in a focused and targeted manner.

Besides the high-risk population, priority would be given to districts with higher caseload and Covid positivity ratio to break the transmission chain and check the spread of infection, Subrahmanyam said chairing a high-level meeting here.