At least six people were admitted to hospital Tuesday after experiencing seizures and vomiting that has caused at least one death, that of a 45-year-old man.
Hundreds of people in Eluru, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, have been treated over the past three days – at a time when health authorities are busy screening patients for coronavirus. More than 80 patients are still under observation.
Health experts deployed
India's government has deployed medical experts to investigate the mystery illness, which first appeared on Saturday causing seizures, nausea and chronic pain.
Presence of lead and nickel in drinking water and milk has been primarily established as the root cause of the mysterious sickness among people in Eluru city of Andhra Pradesh, which has till now claimed one life and left over 500 illhttps://t.co/Ey9G9GZhKN
— The Telegraph (@ttindia) December 8, 2020
“We are unable to diagnose what is causing it," A S Ram, a doctor at the Eluru government hospital, told RFI. "Everyone has tested negative for Covid ... it is baffling and we hope to get to the bottom of it.”
In most cases, patients who were brought to the hospital have displayed the same symptoms – seizures, followed by loss of consciousness.
Experts have been sent from the National Institute of Virology, National Centre for Disease Control and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to investigate the illness. The World Health Organization is also assessing the situation.
A multi-disciplinary team was collecting samples of edible oil, rice, blood and urine for analysis.
Traces of nickel and lead
Preliminary reports by All India Institute of Medical Sciences found traces of heavy metals including lead and nickel in the blood samples of some of the patients.
Officials said that scientists and public health experts are zeroing in on the possibility of water contamination by heavy metals.
Illness in India: symptoms of ‘mystery’ sickness in Andhra Pradesh's Eluru - and if it’s linked to coronavirus https://t.co/koJ8PsG4zj
— The Scotsman (@TheScotsman) December 9, 2020
“As the canals pass through agriculture fields, we are looking at the possibility of contamination due to pesticides,” Health Minister A K Krishna Srinivas told RFI.
The incident has, however, triggered panic among the town of nearly 350,000 people, where many areas lack basic sanitation facilities and narrow lanes are polluted with open drains and garbage dumps.
“It is not yet clear what its source is and how and why it has happened," said state health commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar.
While the chemicals were found in the bodies of patients, he said they had not been detected in either the waterways or food chain.
