In the midst of the global health crisis, a mysterious new disease has appeared in India. The first cases occurred on December 5 in the city of Eluru. It has since struck several hundred people and caused at least the death of one man. For fear of being infected, many residents tried to flee the city.
500 people infected
Mysterious disease spreads in southern India reports Times of India. Families with the elderly and young children are particularly concerned. Authorities say more than 300 people have been admitted to hospitals over the past weekend, around 150 on Monday and dozens on Tuesday. One hospital reserved 100 beds to accommodate patients, but most were able to return home after a few hours. In contrast, a 45-year-old man died on Sunday.
The disease can cause three to five minute convulsions reminiscent of epilepsy symptoms, memory loss, burning eyes, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, headache and back pain. A team of experts from the National Institute of Virology, the National Center for Disease Control and the Indian Institute of Medical Sciences in Eluru has been dispatched by the government to conduct an on-site investigation.
In addition to this, India is one of the countries most affected by Covid-19 which deplores 141,772 deaths.
A very real disease
After taking blood samples from ten people, high levels of lead and nickel were found in the patients. The authorities have thus ordered an investigation to discover the origin of the presence of these heavy metals in the bodies of patients. AV Mohan, director of Eluru hospital, however, indicates that it is still too early to say with certainty that these heavy metals are at the origin of this mysterious disease.
” Both of these metals are heavy metals and their traces were above normal in the blood samples we sent to AIIMS-Delhi. Lead is a neurotoxin and affects the nervous system. However, it is too early to draw any conclusions. We have sent 40 more water and milk samples to AIIMS as requested and once we have the report we may be able to determine the cause of this mysterious disease. ”, Explained AV Mohan.
” Some think it’s mass hysteria, but it’s not Said AS Ram, chief medical officer at the government hospital in Eluru, assuring that most of the people who presented to the hospital had real symptoms. According to him, many patients arrived with a head injury, as a result of fainting. Kiran Kumar, a police officer, testifies in particular that he lost consciousness for more than two hours on Monday. ” My coworkers told me I shouted something before collapsing. I hurt my right shoulder falling on the road », He said.