MoHFW preparing report on 'undiagnosed' Eluru illness

NEW DELHI: With the health crisis caused by a mysterious illness in Andhra Pradesh's Eluru getting better, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHF) is busy preparing a detailed report based on the preliminary information shared by a Central team visiting there.

The report will be completed soon after the Central team returns to the national capital from Eluru, the headquarters of West Godavaridistrict in Andhra Pradesh, where only two new cases were reported a day ago in the backdrop of many people getting hospitalised with the 'undiagnosed' illness.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal shared the inputs with Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday while apprising him of the latest health situation in Eluru.

The people there reportedly suffered from dizziness, fainting spells, headache and vomiting. Thereafter, the Centre had rushed a team of medical experts to Eluru on December 8 after the Vice President spoke to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan regarding the health situation there.

Bhushan briefed Naidu on the preliminary findings of the Central committee that is on a visit to the affected areas in Eluru. He said that a detailed report will be prepared upon the Central team's return to Delhi and necessary advisory will be issued accordingly.

The Vice President was told that the number of new cases in Eluru has come down sharply with only two new cases getting reported on Friday. Naidu asked the Health Secretary to keep a watch on the situation and take all necessary actions.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, has tied up with other institutions to study the presence of organochlorine and organophosphates in the blood of the affected people.

After studying some samples, AIIMS found the presence of lead and nickel only in two of the 40 urine samples. Until now, only one patient has succumbed to the illness.

Symptoms of the mysterious illness included three to five minutes of epileptic fits without repetition, forgetfulness, anxiety, vomiting, headache and back pain.

Eluru, which is 58 km north-east of Vijayawada, is a coastal paddy cultivation area and aquaculture hub. (IANS)

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