In the blood samples of patients suffering from the mysterious disease in Eluru town in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, excessive quantities of heavy metals such as lead and nickel were found.
"We found lead and nickel in the blood samples in excess amount. This can be one of the causes. We are sending more samples to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi," Himanshu Shukla, joint collector, West Godavari district told IANS.
He said scientists believed these heavy metals were causing hundreds of unexplained illnesses.
"We are working backwards in trying to find out the sources from which this nickel and lead would have come," he said.
Shukla said water and milk have already been tested for these metals and their absence in them has ruled them out to be a cause.
"So definitely it is not water and milk. It can be other things. Already we have covered vegetables if they could be a source and there are multiple other sources like sweets," said the Indian Administrative Service officer.
The elimination approach has been followed by officials and medical experts, and nature of the disease is yet to be proven with authority.
Last night, vegetable samples were sent for testing to the National Nutrition Institute (NIN) in Hyderabad. Other samples were also flown to Delhi, the results of which could be anticipated within the next 12 hours.
Cases of the disease, meanwhile, grew to 551, of which 174 remain active and 350 have been discharged.
(With IANS inputs)
