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India has been struggling against a devastating second wave of COVID-19 infections, but now the country is suffering another epidemic blow as a rare fungal infection affecting some COVID-19 patients was declared an epidemic.
A large number of black fungus (mucormycosis) cases have been reported from across the country, even leading to deaths in many cases.
The disease is being detected among patients who are recovering or have recovered from COVID-19.
India's federal government has asked all states to declare black fungus an epidemic, officials said Thursday.
The disease is dubbed as black fungus, as it leaves black lesions, or spots. Patients suffering from the black fungus infection typically have symptoms of stuffy and bleeding nose, swelling of and pain in the eye, drooping of eyelids and blurred and finally, loss of vision.
Health experts say it affects the sinuses, the brain and the lungs and can be life-threatening in diabetic or severely immunocompromised individuals, such as cancer patients or people with HIV/AIDS.
India's COVID-19 tally rose to 25,772,440 on Thursday with 276,110 new cases registered in the past 24 hours, confirmed the health ministry.