Hyderabad: The mysterious illness that claimed a life and hospitalized more than 500 people in Eluru of West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh is likely to have neuro-toxicity due to heavy metals like lead and nickel, one by all preliminary study. India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Mangalagiri, has found.
The West Godavari district administration said that the AIIMS-Mangalagiri authorities submitted a preliminary report to the Health Department. Officials have called for some more tests to corroborate the report.
The Commissioner of Health, Katamaneni Bhaskar, said that while they have temporarily identified the primary cause of the strange disease, it is not yet clear, how and why it occurred. He clarified that chemicals are found in patients bodies but not in water or food.
AIIMS teams are collecting samples from the affected area and the head of AIIMS-Mangalagiri,Dr. Rajesh Kakkar has identified water pollution as the cause of the disease in Eluru. He said that lead, a heavy metal in water, is contaminated, while adding that industrial waste or water pollution can be caused by batteries. Most of the victims were also suffering from neurological problems
AP government officials hope to get a clear picture of the situation in a day or two as experts are examining all angles to find the root cause of the disease.
He clarified that the mysterious disease was neither a bacterial nor a viral infection nor a contagious disease. He said that it is the sudden onset of symptoms of convulsion and epilepsy that can be treated symptomatically.
Teams of the World Health Organization and AIIMS-Mangalagiri are also visiting the affected areas to get information about patients’ conditions in advance.On Tuesday, 505 cases were reported from different parts of the city. Of these, 332 were discharged after treatmentay.
According to the district collector’s report, the symptoms of mysterious illness that hospitalized 340 people in Eluru town of West Godavari district include epileptic seizures, anxiety, vomiting, headaches and back pain.22 freshwater samples were tested and reports were normal.
About 52 blood samples were also tested and found to be normal. The cell count of 35 cerebral spinal fluid samples returned normal, while culture reports have still not arrived. Twenty-five people underwent CT scans and the results were normal. Nine milk samples were tested and found to be normal.
The district collector also surveyed a house in which 62 villages and ward secretariats participated. Health survey was done in 57,863 households. Also, 56 doctors including specialists are treating the victims and three microbiologists, 136 nurses, 117 FNOs and 99 MNOs on duty. 20 ambulances have been deployed and 62 24×7 medical camps have been set up. In addition, 445 beds were available in four hospitals, including the government hospital in Eluru.
