CCMB, AIIMS roped in to unravel Eluru's mystery illness

HYDERABAD: City-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) scientists and those from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have been roped in to detect the cause behind the mysterious sickness that has hit Eluru, leaving one dead and more than 450 in hospital.
Blood samples from the patients were sent to CCMB Hyderabad and AIIMS for tests.A central three-member team is landing tomorrow to probe into the mystery sickness. A WHO team is also looking into the case.
"We have received the blood samples of the patients from Eluru. Doctors are not able to figure out. We will explore any infection in the samples, if it is not an infection and just a chemical or toxin, we may not be able to tell," CCMB Director Dr Rakesh Mishra told TOI.
It all began with 45 people from four different localities in Eluru on Saturday, showing strange symptoms not connected to any known disease. People complained of seizures, sudden loss of consciousness, frothing and shivering. "If it is a bacteria or virus or fungal, we can find out and isolate the causative. It may take a few days as the process is complicated," the CCMB director said.