Eluru mystery disease: AIIMS report claims presence of lead & nickel traces in blood samples of affected

Hundreds have been rushed to the hospital, since Saturday night, following the outbreak of a mystery illness at Eluru in Andhra Pradesh. With complaints of epilepsy, convulsions, seizures, and giddiness, over 500 people have fallen sick, raising concerns among the authorities. According to the preliminary report submitted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the experts have identified the traces of heavy metals – lead and nickel in at least 10 blood samples collected from patients from different places of Eluru.

Earlier on Monday morning, multiple teams of professionals from premiere scientific institutions of the country have been roped in to determine the exact cause behind the mysterious illness that swept the town. The AIIMS authorities submitted a preliminary report to Andhra Pradesh State Medical and Health Department on Monday night. As per the study, the authorities suspect this incident to be a case of neuro-toxicity caused by heavy metals like lead and nickel. However, the team is yet to ascertain the source of toxic elements and the mode of contamination. The authorities have called for some more tests to reach a conclusion.

Following the AIIMS report, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Tuesday, directed the officials to submit a detailed report on the illness, tests conducted, and the treatment being offered along with the reports of tests conducted on milk and water. A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said: “The CM enquired about the mystery illness in Eluru and directed the officials to be vigilant and conduct all the possible tests to find the actual cause.” It further added that a team from the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) is also running tests and the results are awaited.