News Headlines: 9 states announce 'Black fungus' as an epidemic

The Uttar Pradesh government, on Friday, declared the deadly infection, black fungus, as an epidemic. The state has so far registered 169 cases of mucormycosis and eight deaths due to it.

On Thursday, the Union Health Ministry had urged states and union territories to make black fungus or mucormycosis a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, stating that the infection is leading to morbidity and mortality amongst COVID-19 patients.

Mucormycosis, which is primarily affecting people recovering from Covid-19, as per sources, has infected several people as it is caused by the steroid administered in the treatment of coronavirus.