Andhra's mysterious illness: Chemical suspected to have sickened over 450
In Andhra Pradesh's Eluru city, over 450 people have been reported to have contracted a mysterious illness since Saturday that has left experts baffled. The illness manifests itself in symptoms of epilepsy, convulsions, seizures, etc. One person has also succumbed to the illness. A preliminary analysis now suspects the role of organochlorine substances commonly used in pesticides and anti-mosquito fogging. Here are more details.
The mysterious illness had first surfaced in Eluru's One-Town area and has now spread to adjoining rural areas. People who fell ill would suddenly fall unconscious after experiencing fits and nausea, PTI reported. According to doctors at Eluru's Government General Hospital, the disease included a bout of epilepsy for three-five minutes, memory loss for a few minutes, anxiety, vomiting, headache, and back pain.
A report presented by West Godavari District Collector R Mutyalaraju said blood tests and CT scans showed everything normal and the precise cause remains unknown. The cell count of 35 cerebral spinal fluid samples was also normal, but the culture report is awaited.
When asked about organochlorine being the disease-triggering agent, a top official of the Medical and Health Department told PTI, "Mostly yes, but we are waiting for the laboratory report (for confirmation)." Organochlorine pesticides are chlorinated hydrocarbons used in agriculture and mosquito control. The compounds reportedly include DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). Notably, water contamination has been ruled out as the cause of disease spread.
A team of doctors from the AIIMS Mangalagiri visited the hospital to collect blood samples from patients. A team of experts from the National Institute of Nutrition and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad also reached the hospital on Monday. Water and milk samples were sent to the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad for heavy metal content, sources told PTI.
A team of experts from the World Health Organization in New Delhi, along with another team by the Union Health Ministry reached Eluru on Tuesday evening. A team from the Indian Council of Medical Research is also expected to investigate the case. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy addressed a high-level meeting directing officials to be on full alert.
263 people have been discharged, while 171 have been admitted as in-patients, PTI reported. 17 others were referred to hospitals in Vijayawada and Guntur for better medicare. However, all incoming patients have turned negative for COVID-19, the report said.
