Centre sends black fungus advisory to states, alerts about other infections

Surveillance of other "opportunistic" infections like ventilator-associated pneumonia, catheter-associated blood stream infection should be in place, the Centre said.

The Union health ministry on Friday wrote to all states and Union territories urging them to ensure all Covid-19 hospitals and other health care facilities adhere to infection prevention and control practices. This comes in the backdrop of PM Modi highlighting the threat of mucormycosis or black fungus. Taking note of the sudden rise in the number of black fungus cases, the centre said the states must remain prepared to tackle "secondary and opportunistic fungal infections which are getting amplified due to the present surge in Covid cases".

Doctors treat a Black Fungus infected patient at the mucormycosis ward of government ENT hospital in Hyderabad. (PTI)

In its advisory, the Centre said that in due course, the states and UTs are expected to establish surveillance with a focus on ventilator-associated pneumonia, catheter-associated blood stream infection, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, surgical site infections, gastro-intestinal outbreaks.

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Opportunistic infections are those which affects the body when the immune system is weak. Amid the sudden surge of black fungus cases in the country, doctors have emphasised that mucormycosis is not a new infection. The spores of this fungus are present in the air, soil and even food. Cases of this infection surfaced during the SARS outbreak in 2003 as well, but the so-called rare disease is on the rise in India at present because of certain medical conditions, partially caused by Covid-19 treatment.

Hospitals must prepare and implement an overall Infection Prevention Control programme following the ministry's National Guidelines for Infection and Control in Healthcare Facilities, the Centre said.

The emergence of mucormycosis amid the second wave of the pandemic caught the country's healthcare system unprepared as it was already under the pressure of rising Covid-19 cases. The production of Amphotericin b, a black fungus drug, was also limited till April. Now as the Centre is ramping up the production of the drug and states are setting up exclusive facilities to treat black fungus cases, the focus should be on being prepared for similar possible infections.

"Infection Prevention and Control practices need to be enhanced in ICUs using a bundle-approach to prevent device-associated infections such as ventilator-associated pneumonia or catheter-associated blood stream, urinary infections etc," the Centre said.