Owing to a deadly fungal outbreak, the authorities in the US and Mexico have requested the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency of international concern. The request was conveyed after the US&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informed that two people&nbsp;who underwent surgeries involving epidural anaesthesia, died of meningitis.

Recruiters reportedly lured patients from multiple countries and 24 US states to two facilities named&nbsp;River Side Surgical Center and Clinica K-3 in Mexico for cosmetic operations that may have exposed them to the fungus. Both facilities have been shut down by the authorities.&nbsp;

The CDC is currently monitoring over 400 people who may have visited the facilitirs&nbsp;to avail the services. They have also requested others who had surgeries at either of the two facilities to get evaluated, even if they are currently asymptomatic.&nbsp;

"All have been notified, and are under evaluation, and we were working with transplant centers and other partners to properly manage these patients who had these organs transplanted into their bodies," CDC's Dallas Smith was quoted as saying by CBS.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mpox-is-no-longer-a-global-health-emergency-who-591470">ALSO READ |&nbsp;MPox is no longer a global health emergency: World Health Organization</a>

<h2>Anaesthesia may have been contaminated: CDC</h2>

According to Smith, the medications used during anaesthesia may have been contaminated in the&nbsp;epidural itself or in other medications such as morphine that are added in&nbsp;conjunction with the surgeries.

"There's these agents that act as recruiters in the U.S. for patients, they link US patients to these clinics to receive certain care, and certain procedures like cosmetic procedures," he said.&nbsp;

"Because patients in Mexico, the United States, Canada, and Colombia were on the exposed list, we wanted to make sure these countries were aware, and provide such situational awareness, through a public health emergency of international concern."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/who-declares-covid-19-pandemic-is-over-restrictions-lifted-globally-589326">WATCH |&nbsp;WHO declares Covid-19 pandemic is over; restrictions lifted globally</a>

Although fungal&nbsp;meningitis is not contagious and can be treated with antifungal medicines - allowing the symptoms to simmer can quickly induce life-threatening conditions.&nbsp;

<h2>WHO cannot immediately approve the request</h2>

Despite the requests from the two countries, WHO cannot immediately declare&nbsp;a public health emergency. To do so, a WHO committee will have to convene and decide on the severity of the outbreak and if it is necessary&nbsp;to sound the bugle. Notably, the global health body receives such alerts in abundance every day but not all end up reaching that stage.&nbsp;

"[We] are notified of hundreds of events every day and assess each one," WHO spokesperson Margaret Ann Haris said in an email.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Owing to a deadly fungal outbreak, the authorities in the US and Mexico have requested the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency of international concern.

Owing to a deadly fungal outbreak, the authorities in the US and Mexico have requested the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency of international concern. The request was conveyed after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informed that two people who underwent surgeries involving epidural anaesthesia, died of meningitis. Recruiters reportedly lured patients from multiple countries and 24 US states to two facilities named River Side Surgical Center and Clinica K-3 in Mexico for cosmetic operations that may have exposed them to the fungus. Both facilities have been shut down by the authorities. The CDC is currently monitoring over 400 people who may have visited the facilitirs to avail the services. They have also requested others who had surgeries at either of the two facilities to get evaluated, even if they are currently asymptomatic. "All have been notified, and are under evaluation, and we were working with transplant centers and other partners to properly manage these patients who had these organs transplanted into their bodies," CDC's Dallas Smith was quoted as saying by CBS. ALSO READ | MPox is no longer a global health emergency: World Health Organization Anaesthesia may have been contaminated: CDC According to Smith, the medications used during anaesthesia may have been contaminated in the epidural itself or in other medications such as morphine that are added in conjunction with the surgeries. "There's these agents that act as recruiters in the U.S. for patients, they link US patients to these clinics to receive certain care, and certain procedures like cosmetic procedures," he said. "Because patients in Mexico, the United States, Canada, and Colombia were on the exposed list, we wanted to make sure these countries were aware, and provide such situational awareness, through a public health emergency of international concern." WATCH | WHO declares Covid-19 pandemic is over; restrictions lifted globally Although fungal meningitis is not contagious and can be treated with antifungal medicines - allowing the symptoms to simmer can quickly induce life-threatening conditions. WHO cannot immediately approve the request Despite the requests from the two countries, WHO cannot immediately declare a public health emergency. To do so, a WHO committee will have to convene and decide on the severity of the outbreak and if it is necessary to sound the bugle. Notably, the global health body receives such alerts in abundance every day but not all end up reaching that stage. "[We] are notified of hundreds of events every day and assess each one," WHO spokesperson Margaret Ann Haris said in an email. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US, Mexico request WHO to declare public health emergency over deadly fungal outbreak

The Covid-19 pandemic shook the world and bought nations to their knees, the virus took away a lot of lives and continues to loom over us but did you know there could be another contender waiting in line know as the Zombie Fungus - a fungus that hawks the brain and could potentially turn a human into a zombie.

Zombie Fungus: Fungal pandemic can turn humans into zombies?

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US, Mexico request WHO to declare public health emergency over deadly fungal outbreak

Zombie Fungus: Fungal pandemic can turn humans into zombies?