This story is from December 9, 2020

AIIMS says virus or pesticide may’ve landed over 500 in hospital in Andhra

Water contamination by a virus or pesticide might have triggered the “mystery” disease in Eluru town, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said on Tuesday even as a leading private lab in Vijayawada found high levels of pesticides, including DDT, in drinking water.
Eluru illness: Pesticide or virus may be behind 'mystery' disease in Andhra, says AIIMS
The mysterious sickness in Eluru town began on December 6 when a number of people were hospitalised with symptoms that resembled those of epilepsy.
AMARAVATI: Water contamination by a virus or pesticide might have triggered the “mystery” disease in Eluru town, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said on Tuesday even as a leading private lab in Vijayawada found high levels of pesticides, including DDT, in drinking water.
A separate report by AIIMS, Mangalagiri showed high levels of lead and nickel in the blood samples collected from the patients.

A team comprising experts from AIIMS, Delhi; National Institute of Virology, Pune; and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, and National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad is zeroing in on the causative agent – pesticide or virus or a combo of both – that lead to hospitalisation of about 500 people in the last three days.
It all began on December 6 when a group of people was hospitalised with symptoms that resembled those of epilepsy. More cases were reported from other parts of Eluru and nearby areas.
Eluru is served by two irrigation canals that are interlinked. While one canal originates from Rajahmundry, another takes birth in Vijayawada. Pesticides and fertilisers used by farmers en route are dumped into these canals that serve as a drinking water source to thousands of villages including, Eluru city.
The expert team will collect samples from the patients and send them to NIV Pune and other laboratories to find out the cause for the sudden seizures.

Earlier, AIIMS (Mangalagiri) medical superintendent Dr Rakesh Kakkar visited Eluru on Sunday and studied the case sheets of the patients and analysed the reasons for the sudden illness including seizures, convulsions, vomiting, foaming and tremors.
The AIIMS team found that majority of the cases were reported from the areas which have common sources of drinking water supply from Pumpula Cheruvu supplied by Eluru municipal corporation. “Most of the 20 patients interviewed said there was change in the colour and taste in water. Some reported that there was greenish/muddy discolouration of the household water supply,” said AIIMS in its preliminary report to the state government.
“Water/food contamination with virus or heavy metals or organo-compounds could be the suspected cause of outbreak,” concluded AIIMS in its report.
A private laboratory in Vijayawada found presence of pesticides in high quantities in drinking water. The water samples were collected and sent for analysis by Eluru Municipal Corporation. The report said that Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD) was found at 14.21 and 15.23 per mg/l while the acceptable limit is just 0.0001. Similarly, Alachlor, an herbicide, was found at 10.88 and Methoxychlor, pesticide, was recorded at 17.64 against the acceptable level of 0.001. Another chemical DDT was found at 15.31 level and DDE was recorded as 14.16 per mg/l against the permissible level of 0.001 mg/l.
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