Andhra Pradesh: At least 300 persons including several children, some as young as 4 years old have taken ill in Eluru in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh since Saturday evening. While officials initially suspected contaminated drinking water or air pollution to be the cause, both were ruled out by Sunday evening.
Health Minister A Kali Krishna Srinivas said blood samples and swabs have been sent for lab analysis, with reports awaited. However, the number rose rapidly with hospitals admitting nearly 300 patients. More than 140 of the patients have returned home after treatment at hospital while the condition of others was stable, the West Godavari district medical and health officials said.
A 45-year-old man, who was admitted to the GGH in Eluru on Sunday morning with symptoms of nausea and epilepsy, died in the evening. Superintendent of Eluru Government Hospital, Dr Mohan, said around 140 people were admitted from last night till this morning. “Symptoms include nausea and fainting. The reason is not yet known,” Dr Mohan said on Sunday.
Nothing has yet been established as to what caused the disease that saw people suddenly falling unconscious after suffering from symptoms of fits and nausea. Health authorities could not yet establish the cause of the sudden disease though blood tests and CT (brain) scan were performed.
Water samples from the affected areas were sent for testing but no contamination was reported. Blood samples of the patients were also sent but no viral infections were detected. Meanwhile, all the patients were tested for the COVID-19 and all reports were negative.
Cerebral Spinal Fluid tests also turned out to be normal. The probable cause could become evident only after the culture test results came in. According to district Joint Collector Himanshu Shukla, E-coli results were also awaited.
Himanshu told PTI that expert scientists from the National Institute of Nutrition and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology from Hyderabad would arrive in Eluru on Monday for diagnosing the cause of the disease. A 24×7 control room has been set up in the Eluru Municipal Corporation office. Milk samples were also collected at random and sent for examination in Vijayawada.
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