The mysterious disease in Eluru, West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, apparently bagan five days ago and now the numbers are steadily increasing.
This scary medical condition has affected nearly 350 people. It has also claimed the life of one person. The victim who was admitted to the GGH in Eluru today in the morning with symptoms of nausea and epilepsy.
Most of the patients were in the age group of 20-30 years, while there were about 45 children who were below the age of 12 years.
While 157 people are still undergoing treatment for the mystery disease, 168 patients have been discharged.
Suffering from the effects of fits and nausea, people unexpectedly fall unconscious. In patients, symptoms such as vomiting, headache and seizure are not linked to any known illness, experts say.
Reports illustrated that without repetition, forgetfulness, anxiety, vomiting, headache, and back pain, the affected individuals complained of 3 to 5 minutes of epileptic fits.
There's also no idea what the illness is. In order to identify a source, blood samples and spinal fluid are being analyzed.
Although blood tests and CT (brain) scans were conducted, health authorities still could not determine the cause. It also turned out to be
normal for Cerebral Spinal Fluid studies.
While initially it was believed that the cause of the illness may have been water pollution, sample tests ruled it out.
Since the water supplied as the cause was suspected by some people, Collector Revu Muthyala Raju reported that people from other areas where water is not provided by Eluru Municipality had also fallen ill.
According to Raju, 22 freshwater samples were examined but these were normal.
Authorities have sent 10 milk samples to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) near Tarnaka in Hyderabad for testing.
People also worry that it will spread to other districts. Common symptoms of people suffering from the disease are being identified to know the cause.
The Centre is rushing a team of 3 members to Eluru to investigate the incident of sudden illness of people in an around the town.
Eluru Government Hospital was visited by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, where
hundreds of people are admitted with symptoms of nausea, giddiness and epilepsy.