Lead, nickel cause of Mysterious Disease in Andhra Pradesh

Eluru: Lead and nickel content in drinking water and milk was primarily established as the root cause of the mysterious disease in Eluru city of Andhra Pradesh, which so far resulted in over 500 people falling sick.

Based on the preliminary finding of the expert teams from AIIMS and other state and central institutions, health officials presented a report to Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy here on Tuesday stating that lead and nickel were found to be the causative agents for the mysterious disease, citing a report prepared by the AIIMS experts.

The disease saw people suddenly falling unconscious after suffering from fits and nausea since Saturday night. The symptoms, according to GGH doctors, included a bout of epilepsy for 3-5 minutes, memory loss for a few minutes, anxiety, vomiting, headache and back pain.

More tests are being conducted by the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, NIN and other institutes and the results are expected soon.

The Chief Minister directed the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation on the heavy metal content in the patients' bodies and constantly monitor the treatment process. Another team drafted by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare arrived in Eluru on Tuesday for a study and possibly determine the cause of the mysterious disease.

A team from the Indian Council of Medical Research is also expected to visit the State soon.

A delegation from the World Health Organization (WHO) also arrived on Tuesday. The team will tour the town for three days and conduct studies to determine the cause of the disease.

The positive news is that 332 of them have recovered and been discharged from the Eluru Government hospital. As of now, 125 are being treated at the hospital and another 18 of them were shifted to Vijayawada and Guntur for better treatment. Of the total victims, 253 were men and 222 were women.

Pesticide and e-coli test results are awaited, and health authorities have been deployed all over Eluru to find out the cause of the disease. The Government has taken concrete steps to ensure that the people are provided with proper medical care. A total of 84 medical camps have been set up in the 62 Ward Secretariats in the town.

A nodal officer has been appointed to monitor referral cases from Eluru to Vijayawada and Guntur Government Hospitals. Steps have been taken to carry out deep sanitation in 32 divisions from Tuesday. Special attention is being paid to prevent any leaks in the drinking water pipes and to rectify the faults in the drainage system. Patients, who were referred to Vijayawada, are being treated, and their health condition is stable now, said Vijayawada Government Hospital Superintendent Dr K Sivasankara Rao.