LIVE TV
Odisha
Recommended Stories
Odisha government on Monday informed that as many as 129 cases of black fungus have been reported from the State so far while a total of 18 people have succumbed to the fatal disease. As per sources, Ganjam and Khordha districts have reported 21 cases each while 8 cases of infection have been confirmed in Balasore.
Chief of the State Directorate of Public Health, Dr Niranjan Mishra informed about the development to newsmen today. “Presently, the situation is under control as only one or two cases of the disease are being reported. Till now only 12 people have recovered from the infection but there is no reason to worry since the recovery of patients takes a lot of time. Besides, the number of cases and fatalities in Odisha is comparatively low,” Mishra said.
The Odisha government on May 21 declared the Black Fungus infection a 'notifiable disease' under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 after reporting its first case of mucormycosis on May 10. A state-level task force committee has also been constituted for early detection and management of such cases.
Black Fungus also called ‘mucormycosis’ is a rare but dangerous invasive mold infection caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes. Doctors believe that mucormycosis, which has an overall mortality rate of 50%, may be being triggered by the use of steroids. It could also be happening in people having chronic uncontrolled diabetes, renal issues, chronic liver disease, Asthma, TB, or individuals who are on immunosuppressant therapy like steroids. Recently, the Covid infection is believed to have sparked a considerable surge in the cases of this fungal disease.
Dengue Situation In Bhubaneswar
Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra also responded to reports of Dengue cases in Bhubaneswar. So far, a total of 6 Dengue cases have been reported from Shaileshree Vihar and Kalpana areas of the State Capital city.
"The monsoonal activity generally compounds the cases of Dengue, Malaria like vector-borne diseases. Anti-larval measures, cleaning of stagnant water, mosquito repellent, and other control steps are being undertaken in the affected areas to contain the outbreak of cases. Awareness is also being created among the public," said Mishra.
