[ad_1]
At least one person has died and another 200 are hospitalized in India due to a mysterious illness.
The first cases were detected on Saturday night in the ancient city of Eluru, in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Patients suffer from symptoms ranging from nausea and anxiety to seizures, convulsions and loss of consciousness, doctors said, but tested negative for COVID-19.
A 45-year-old man who was in the hospital with epilepsy-like symptoms and nausea died Sunday night, the Press Trust of India the news agency reported.
The patients tested negative for the coronavirus. Photo: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office
In total 380 have fallen ill and the authorities are trying to determine the cause of the new disease.
So far, water samples from the affected areas have shown no signs of contamination, although the sick are believed to have collected their water from the same source.
A note published by the Andhra Pradesh health department reportedly said that initial blood tests did not find any evidence of a viral infection, such as Japanese encephalitis, dengue or chikungunya, diseases that are caused by mosquito bites.
Chief Minister of State YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited a government hospital and met with patients who were ill on Monday.
Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu tweeted to demand a “full and impartial investigation into the incident.”
Chief Minister of State YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited some patients on Monday. Photo: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office
It comes at a time when India continues to be severely affected coronavirus cases.
According to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the pandemic around the world, India has recorded more than 9.6 million cases, second only to the United States, and more than 140,500 deaths, third after the United States and Brazil.
Andhra Pradesh state is among the worst affected by the virus with more than 800,000 cases detected.
The health system in the state, like the rest of India, has worn down from the resulting pressure.
