Indore: As many as 498 cases of black fungus also known as Mucormycosis have been reported in Indore out of which 15 people have died so far due to the infection, informed Medical and Health Officer, Dr Bhure Singh Setya.
“From these 498 cases, 247 patients are from Indore district while 251 patients are from other districts being treated in Indore hospitals. The total number of people who have recovered from the infection is 12. The rest of 471 patients are currently being treated at various hospitals in Indore,” said Dr Setya.
The cause of so many deaths in Indore is the shortage of the antifungal drug, Amphotericin B, which is used to treat patients infected with black fungus.
Indore is currently facing acute shortage regarding the availability of Amphotericin-B, the injection used to treat the deadly “black fungus” in a growing epidemic of the disease.
Earlier on Monday, Madhya Pradesh Minister Tulsi Silawat had told ANI that the city was facing an acute shortage of Amphotericin-B.
He had also informed that there were 330 patients infected with Mucormycosis, who were undergoing treatment in Indore. However, several cases were from nearby cities, he had said.
With the increasing number of cases, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar have declared black fungus as an epidemic disease under the Epidemic Disease Act 1897.