Bhubaneswar: Andhra Pradesh authorities are investigating whether organochlorines used as pesticides or in mosquito control caused the death of one person and the hospitalization of more than 400 in the state in recent days, a health official said on Tuesday.
The unknown disease has infected more than 300 children, and most of them suffer from dizziness, fainting, headaches and vomiting. They have tested negative on COVID-19
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BJP deputy GVL Narasimha Rao, who is from the state, said on Twitter that he had spoken with government medical experts and that “the most likely cause is poisonous organochlorine substances.”
“It’s one of the possibilities,” said Geeta Prasadini, director of public health in the state, adding that they were waiting for test reports to determine the cause.
He said no new serious cases have come to light in the past 24 hours. A 45-year-old man died over the weekend.
Organochlorines are banned or restricted in many countries after research linked them to cancer and other potential health risks. However, some of the pollutants remain in the environment for years and accumulate in animal and human body fat.
It was not immediately clear how extensively the chemicals are used in India, although it is found in applied DDT for mosquito control.
Currently, 157 patients are receiving treatment and another 168 have been discharged. Of all those affected, 307 came from Eluru city, 30 from rural Eluru and three from Denduluru.
Authorities are awaiting culture reports of some brain fluid samples taken from affected people, while 10 milk samples have been sent to the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) near Tarnaka in Hyderabad for analysis.
The health ministry has formed a three-member team to investigate the sudden illness of people in and around Eluru. The team, consisting of Dr. Jamshed Nayar, Associate Professor (Emergency Medicine), AIIMS, New Delhi, Dr. Avinash Deoshtawar, Virologist, NIV, Pune, and Dr. Sanket Kulkarni, Dy. The principal, PH, NCDC, will contact Eluru on Tuesday morning and report in the evening.
As the unidentified disease spread to various points in Eluru amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the district administration conducted a household survey to find out its prevalence. Up to 62 village and district ministries conducted health surveys in 57,863 households.
Similarly, 56 physicians, three microbiologists, 136 nurses, 117 FNOs and 99 MNOs have been deployed in service. In the last 48 hours, 62 medical camps were held and 20 ambulances and 445 beds were made available for treatment at the Eluru government hospital and four other institutes.
50 beds were also allocated in the Vijayawada government general hospital, along with medical staff, for the treatment of the affected people.
Exposure to organochlorine pesticides for a short period can cause seizures, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, tremors, confusion, muscle weakness, slurred speech, salivation and sweating, say US health authorities.
(With input from Reuters)
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