- Over the weekend, nearly 300 people reported to the local hospital in Eluru, India, with complains of seizures, nausea, and loss of consciousness
- All patients tested negative for the novel coronavirus
- Government authorities claim no signs of water contamination as they continue to search for the source of the mystery illness.
A mystery illness sent hundreds in the city of Eluru, India, into a state of panic. Over the weekend around 300 people presented to Eluru government hospital with strange, unexplainable symptoms. These included nausea, headache, seizures, and loss of consciousness.
As of Sunday, 6th December, the mysterious illness has claimed one life and hospitalized over 200 people. Sridhar, the 45-year-old man who passed away, had presented with seizures on Sunday morning. Despite recovering from his initial symptoms, Sridhar passed away later in the evening. An autopsy is scheduled and will likely provide doctors with a better clue about the disease.
The patient who died had reported similar symptoms to the others, but then had a fatal but unrelated cardiac arrest.
Dolla Joshi Roy, district surveillance officer of Eluru’s West Godavari District.
Mystery Illness in India Claims One Life
According to health authorities, multiple tests are awaiting results at the moment. Along with blood tests, doctors have also performed CT (computed tomography) scans and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing. All of which have come out normal.
Furthermore, doctors also screened the patients for viral diseases such as COVID-19, Dengue, Chikungunya and Rabies. All 345 people have tested negative for COVID-19 and all other viral infections. Thus, puzzling the authorities even further.
Is it the Water, or the Air?
As a result of a majority of patients sharing a common water source, authorities initially suspected water contamination. However, water samples from across 22 affected areas have all come out normal. They did not find any impurities other than the presence of heavy metals, all within permissible limits.
The cause is still unknown but still we are doing all kinds of testing, including testing food and milk
Dolla Joshi Roy, district surveillance officer of Eluru’s West Godavari District.
Earlier this year, 11 people died due to a poisonous gas leak from a chemical factory in Andhra Pradesh. Over 1,000 people fell sick after inhaling the fumes. Therefore, authorities are also investigating possible chemical leaks in the area.
Teams from the World Health Organization (WHO) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences have also arrived in the region to conduct further tests.
Public Health Emergency
With 9.6 million cases, India currently has the world’s second-highest number of COVID-19 infections. Furthermore, the state of Andhra Pradesh is the third worst-hit state in India with over 800,000 cases.
According to the authorities, around 180 patients have been discharged so far. However, containing the mysterious illness is highly difficult until a source of infection is discovered. Furthermore, as doctors try to get a grip on the situation, multiple health resources will need to be diverted to the outbreak. Thus, adding to the country’s public health challenge.
Reference:
Sudhir, U., & Sanyal, A. (2020, December 7). Mystery Disease Strikes In Andhra Pradesh, One Person Dead, 380 Ill. https://www.ndtv.com/andhra-pradesh-news/mystery-disease-strikes-in-andhra-pradesh-one-person-dead-380-ill-2335276.
