Eluru outbreak
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Eluru outbreak | |
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In early December 2020, an acute neurological disease broke out in Eluru, a city located in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The first case was reported on 5 December, with hundreds more falling ill and one person dying over the next week. The cause was initially unknown, but on 20 December, AIIMS and NEERI Research Institute came to a conclusion that pesticides leaching into the water supply is the most likely reason.
Symptoms
Reported symptoms include headache, vomiting, dizziness, convulsions, seizures, nausea, anxiety, loss of consciousness, mental confusion, miosis and other neurological symptoms, which have been described as being similar to epilepsy. The individuals who have been reported to have the disease, especially children, have reported a sudden onset of vomiting after complaining of burning eyes.[10][11][12]
Outbreak
The first case was recorded on the evening of 5 December. By the next day, a few hundred more people were admitted to hospital with similar symptoms. The only reported death was a 45-year-old man who had reported similar symptoms.
By the night of 7 December, more than 400 people had been stricken by the disease. While the disease affects all age groups, over 300 of the infected are children.[17][18] The total reported number of infected had risen to 450 and the discharged to 200 by 7 December.[19][20] While the symptoms have been reported as being "the same across age groups and gender," a majority of patients are in the age group of 20-30 years old.[21][19] Hundreds of children were affected by the disease.[17]
The rate of new cases drastically decreased on 8 December, although six people who were previously discharged suffered a second seizure and were readmitted.[22] On 10 December, two other people who got the disease died, causing some media to speculate that their deaths were due to the disease. However, the district's health commissioner announced they had died from unrelated conditions - one from a stroke and one from COVID-19 - and that only the original death remained on the official count.[2][15] Only two people were admitted into the hospital the next day, with most patients having recovered and thirteen still requiring treatment as of 12 December.[23] On 12 December, no new cases were recorded, and state health minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas stated that "the city is heading towards a zero mystery illness situation."[24]
Investigation of cause
Samples from patients and of the local water were collected the same day to determine the cause of the outbreak.[13] Specialists from several worldwide and Indian scientific and medical institutions, such as the National Centre for Disease Control,[25] All India Institutes of Medical Sciences,[20] the World Health Organization, the Indian Council of Medical Research, the National Institute of Nutrition, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, and the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology had been sent to assess the situation and analyze the samples.[21] However, the tests did not detect any water pollution or known virus infections (including COVID-19) upon analysis.[13][26][21]
Andhra Pradesh's Health Department reported that "initial blood test[s] did not find any evidence of
BJP Member of Parliament Narasimha Rao suspected that
Later preliminary results pointed to high lead and nickel content in drinking water and milk as possible agents via lead poisoning.[30] Blood tests also found high concentrations of the same materials in patients.[5] State authorities later ruled out air and water as the medium for heavy metals and started testing vegetable and fruit samples.[29] It has also been speculated that pesticides may have leached into the water supply after flash floods.[31] Other theories include improper disposal of batteries as well as excessive bleaching and chlorinating of the water supply to prevent COVID-19 transmission.[32]
On December 16, the Andhra Pradesh government concluded that pesticide residue in the water was the "main reason" for the illness, based on findings from studies conducted by the
Mahesh Kumar Mummadi et al. concluded that Triazofos (Organophosphate) pesticide contamination of water as a probable cause of the outbreak.[10]
Responses and reactions
Srinivas initially reported “[a]ll the patients are out of danger. Of the 300-odd affected, about 125 have been discharged by Sunday evening."[36]
On 7 December, the government announced it had commenced "a door-to-door survey".[36] The same day, CM Reddy visited the patients in Eluru and gave instructions to his ministers on patient care and supervision, ordering that discharged patients be observed for a month afterwards.[37] The central government announced that a three-person team would be sent to Eluru on 8 December to probe the situation.[38] The state government later formed a 21-member council which included representatives from the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences and the World Health Organization to investigate the outbreak.[39]
Due to reports that lead in vegetables was possibly causing the illness, sales by local vendors were severely reduced as people bought more meat and went to other cities to buy vegetables instead.[40]
See also
References
- ^ "Felt dizzy and suffered seizure after breakfast, recalls Eluru mystery illness survivor". The New Indian Express. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ a b c "2 more persons hospitalised with symptoms of Eluru's mysterious disease die". Hindustan Times. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Eluru 'mystery illness' : One dead, over 300 affected within two days". Business Today. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ "Vegetables samples to be sent for testing amid rising Eluru cases". The Siasat Daily. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Andhra Pradesh: High Quantities of Lead, Nickel in Blood of Eluru Patients; Pesticide in Water". The Wire. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ "Eluru mystery disease: WHO adds bleaching, chlorine in Covid-19 sanitisation measures to the suspect list". Deccan Herald. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ Bandari, Pavan Kumar (10 December 2020). "Mysterious Disease: Cases fall drastically, Health Minister Alla Nani meets victims". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "Eluru mystery illness: As many as 14 agencies are attempting to find cause". The News Minute. 12 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Felt dizzy and suffered seizure after breakfast, recalls Eluru mystery illness survivor". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ PMID 34748567.
- ^ "1 Dead, 292 Fall Sick In Andhra Pradesh Due To Mysterious Disease". NDTV.com. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ a b c "Andhra Pradesh: 'Mystery' illness puts hundreds in hospital". BBC News. 7 December 2020. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ a b c Ghosh, Raya (7 December 2020). "What is happening in Eluru? Andhra town trends online after mysterious disease outbreak". India Today. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ a b Mogul, Rhea; Mitra, Esha; Sud, Vedika; Rao, Deepak (7 December 2020). "Unidentified illness hospitalizes more than 300 people in India". CNN. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Eluru mystery illness: Officials deny news of two more persons dying". The News Minute. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Chemical substance found in pesticides suspected to be behind mysterious illness in AP". The News Minute. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ a b Dash, Jatindra; Varadhan, Sudarshan (7 December 2020). "Hundreds rushed to hospital in India, one dead from unknown illness". Reuters. Retrieved 7 December 2020 – via uk.reuters.com.
- ^ "Mystery illness lands over 300 people in the hospital in southern India". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "'Mysterious disease' in Andhra Pradesh's Eluru: What we know so far". The Times of India. 7 December 2020. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ a b Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (7 December 2020). "Mystery illness puts 450 in hospital in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ a b c d Sudhir, Uma; Sanyal, Anindita (7 December 2020). "Mystery Disease Strikes In Andhra Pradesh, One Person Dead, 380 Ill". NDTV. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "Eluru 'mystery' illness: At least six suffer second seizure, readmitted". The Indian Express. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "A week since the onset, cause of Eluru mystery illness remains elusive". Deccan Herald. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- ^ "Eluru limps back to normalcy as mystery illness subsides". The New Indian Express. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ "Central team to visit Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday to investigate mysterious disease". 7 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Unidentified disease in India leaves hundreds hospitalized, 1 dead". USA Today. 7 December 2020. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ Pandey, Ashish (7 December 2020). "1 dead, 350 in hospital in Andhra Pradesh as mystery illness hits Eluru". India Today (TV channel). Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "Did Pesticides Lead to Mystery Illness in Andhra Pradesh's Eluru? Probe On After Over 400 Affected". News18. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Eluru mystery illness: Officials rule out air, water as source of poisoning". The News Minute. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "Heavy metal content in water caused mysterious disease in AP". The Siasat Daily. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ "Andhra 'mystery' illness: Latest tests disclose presence of pesticide residues in drinking water". Hindustan Times. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "Eluru mystery illness: Recycling of batteries might be the cause of disease, AIIMS experts tell CM". The New Indian Express. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Eluru mystery disease: Experts say 'high residues of pesticides in water main reason'". Hindustan Times. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ "Mystery illness lands over 300 people in the hospital in southern India". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "'Mysterious disease in Andhra's Eluru due to Jagan govt's apathy': Chandrababu Naidu". The News Minute. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ a b Janyala, Sreenivas (7 December 2020). "Andhra Pradesh: 300 fall sick in Eluru, health minister says 'mystery illness'". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "Mystery disease: Andhra CM asks official to seek experts view in Eluru". The Siasat Daily. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ "Centre rushes 3-member team to Eluru in wake of mystery disease". The Statesman. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- ^ "Fear of mystery illness makes people avoid vegetables, vendors hit". The New Indian Express. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.