Bhubaneswar, May 20 (PTI) The Odisha government on Thursday declared mucormycosis, a rare fungal infection caused by a group of molds, as a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the health and welfare department said in a statement.

Several COVID-19 patients across the country were, of late, found to have contracted the potentially fatal infection.

On May 10, the Odisha government had announced that the first case of mucormycosis, commonly called 'black fungus', has been detected in the state.

A state-level task force committee was promptly constituted for early detection and management of such cases.

The panel has duly suggested a protocol for identification, treatment and follow up action.

It has also asked authorities concerned to generate awareness on the fungal disease.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)