New Delhi: The spread of a mysterious disease has been reported from Andhra Pradesh’s Eluru town after one died and nearly 350 people fell sick since Saturday night with symptoms resembling epilepsy. According to medical and health officials in West Godavari district, around 200 of the patients have returned home after treatment at hospital while the condition of others was stable.
Most of the victims were in the 20-30 age group while there were about 45 children below the age of 12 years. Even though majority of the people had recovered within a few minutes but at least seven were shifted to the government hospital on Sunday for better treatment, a 45-year-old man who was admitted to the government general hospital in Vijayawada with symptoms of nausea and epilepsy died on Sunday evening.
On Monday morning, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the Government General Hospital and interacted with those afflicted by the disease. Reddy met almost all the patients admitted in the hospital and their caregivers. He sat by their bedside and asked them about their health. He also asked them about the treatment they were receiving. Many patients narrated the symptoms they went through when they fell sick with the mysterious illness that started striking some pockets of West Godavari district’s headquarters on Saturday. The Chief Minister assured the patients that the government will stand by them.
A team of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) from Mangalagiri had also visited the hospital and collected blood samples from the patients for a thorough examination. Health authorities could not yet establish the cause of the disease though blood tests and CT (brain) scans were performed. Cerebral Spinal Fluid tests also turned out to be normal. The probable cause could become evident only after the culture test results came in. E-coli results were also awaited.
Though initially it was suspected that water contamination could have been the cause of the disease outbreak, sample tests ruled that out.
And, now, there is a suspicion that anti-mosquito fogging might have caused the disease spread. However, nothing has yet been confirmed officially as to what actually made the people sick and unconscious after suffering from symptoms of fits and nausea.
After talking to experts at the AIIMS, New Delhi BJP MP G V L Narasimha Rao said that the poisonous organochlorine substances could be the mostly likely cause of the disease.
Earlier on Sunday, on the instructions of the Chief Minister, state Health Minister Alla Nani visited the hospital, talked to the patients and also the medical officials.
Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan expressed concern over the matter and directed the health authorities to ensure proper medicare to the afflicted persons. The Union Home Ministry was also in touch with the Governor’s office over this, official sources said.
Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy spoke with AP Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney over phone and enquired about the situation and said the Centre was ready to extend any possible help.
A 24×7 control room was also set up in the Eluru Municipal Corporation office to control the situation effortlessly.
Expressing anguish over the hundreds of people falling ill, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu demanded a full-fledged inquiry into the disease outbreak and declaration of health emergency in Eluru city.
(With Agency Inputs)