Over 40,800 cases of black fungus or mucormycosis have been reported in the country so far, of which 31,344 are rhinocerebral in nature, and the death toll from the infections rose to 3,129.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in India, the disease is making another important health emergency.

Many Indian media outlets called it “black fungus” because of the black discoloration of dead and dying tissue the fungus causes. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of mucormycosis in India were estimated to be about 70 times higher than in the rest of the world.

Due to its rapidly growing number of cases many Indian state governments have declared it an epidemic.