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What is the News?
The Rajasthan government has declared Mucormycosis or black fungus as an epidemic and a notifiable disease.
What is Mucormycosis?
- Firstly, Mucormycosis or Black Fungus is a rare fungal infection. A group of molds called mucormycetes is the reason behind it, which is abundant in the environment.
- Secondly, Transmission: It occurs through inhalation, inoculation, or ingestion of fungal spores from the environment. However, it does not spread between people or between people and animals.
- Thirdly, Symptoms: Mucormycosis can affect different parts of the body, with different sets of symptoms. Some common symptoms are face numbness, nose obstructions on one side, swelling in the eyes, or pain.
- Fourthly, Vulnerable People: It mainly affects people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness.
- Fifthly, Treatment: The infection is often treated with antifungal medicine, usually amphotericin B. However, the patients may eventually require surgery.
What is Epidemic, Pandemic, and Endemic?
- Epidemic is a disease that affects a large number of people within a community, population, or region.
- Pandemic is an epidemic that’s spread over multiple countries or continents.
- Endemic is something that belongs to a particular people or country.
What is Notifiable Disease?
- Notifiable Disease is any disease that the law requires to report to government authorities.
- This will allow authorities to gather information to monitor the disease, and provides early warning of possible outbreaks.
- The process will also help the government to keep track and formulate a plan for elimination and control. In less infectious conditions, it improves information about the burden and distribution of disease.
- The Government of India has notified several diseases as Notifiable such as cholera, diphtheria, encephalitis, leprosy, meningitis, pertussis (whooping cough), plague, tuberculosis, AIDS, hepatitis, measles among others.
Source: The Hindu
