More than 100 people continue to battle a "mysterious disease" that has emerged in the Indian city of Eluru, officials said on Wednesday.
The country has been left shaken by a "mystery” illness that has affected over 500 people since Saturday night in and around Eluru in Andhra Pradesh. In most cases, the symptoms were the same: epilepsy, seizures, giddiness, vomiting, and oozing of froth from the mouth.
Speaking to Sputnik, resident medical officer Dr P R Srinivas said that out of the 510 patients affected, around 400 had already been discharged by Wednesday morning.
He further mentioned that at least six people, who suffered seizures due to the "mystery illness", have had a second attack and were readmitted to the Eluru Government Hospital.
"Up until now, we had thought it was a one-time attack but as many as six people have been readmitted after suffering from seizures and vomiting. These six were admitted to the hospital on Sunday or Monday and were treated. They were discharged on the same day but on Tuesday, they again were readmitted and kept under observation”, Srinivas said.
To date, one death has been reported in the city due to the unknown illness. Meanwhile, State Health Minister A K Krishna Srinivas has appealed to people not to panic.
On Tuesday night, a preliminary report by a team from India's premier hospital and medical research facility, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, found traces of lead and nickel in some blood samples.
"The sample size that we sent to AIIMS was small, but their report indicates the presence of heavy metals like lead and nickel. We have sent more samples and the reports are awaited", said Dr A V Mohan, the superintendent of the Eluru Government Hospital told Media.
While the authorities are still trying to establish the cause of the illness that has affected several hundred people, analysing cerebrospinal fluid, blood, serum, water, food, urine, vomit, stool, and vegetable samples, State Chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has sought a probe into the presence of lead and nickel particles in some blood samples.