Over 12 research bodies are decoding Eluru mystery

HYDERABAD: For the first time ever in Andhra Pradesh, about a dozen research bodies, labs and hospitals are involved in decoding the ‘mystery’ behind the acute symptoms including seizures in over 500 people in a span of four days in Eluru town of West Godavari district. The ‘disease’ that was first noticed on December 6 has since been named Eluru ‘mystery’ ailment in the absence of a proper scientific diagnosis.
Though there have been instances of such ‘mystery’ ailments in AP in the past, this is the first time that about a dozen leading scientific institutions, laboratories and hospitals are involved to study a health issue.

Earlier, the state reported similar cases of medical ‘enigma’ that on a thorough research turned out to be that of yaws (in Agency areas of Visakhapatnam), acute flaccid paralysis (in Machilipatnam) and viral fever (in Vijayawada). The Uddanam kidney disease is yet to be solved and to date, Uddanam in Srikakulam district continues to be one of the five places on the earth where the exact cause of kidney ailments is yet to be decoded. Initially, Chikungunya, during its second outbreak in early 2000s, was also a medical enigma.

In the case of the Eluru ailment, scientists and health experts are not ruling out any possible angle behind the sudden outbreak. Each leading research body has been handed a specific task and only after all these reports are analysed, will health officials come to a conclusion on what triggered the acute symptoms in people across social, sex and age groups.
The research ranges from identifying a pathogen, if any, to finding the cause at the cellular and molecular level. Scientific and health aspects involved will all be studied.
While the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi and Mangalagiri, will look into the medical aspects, the National Institute of Nutrition will study the nutritional angles involved. The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology will find out if there are any changes at the cellular or molecular level, while the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology will find out if there are any toxins behind the ailment.
The National Institute for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation will find out the epidemiological aspects and suggest measures to prevent recurrence. Local laboratories and hospitals too analysed blood and water samples for chemical or biological contaminants.