Chennai: The mystery illness that puzzled health officials in Eluru, seems to have been decoded, with experts pointing to lead and nickel, as the probable causes.
The sudden outbreak that left over 450 sick and one dead, saw patients suffering from severe nausea and fits.
Sources said, after ruling out various reasons, doctors from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences have found that traces of lead and nickel were found in the blood samples of those affected and that this might be the reason for the condition.
The number of people reporting symptoms went up to 556 on Tuesday. “More tests are being conducted by Indian Institute of Chemical Technology and other institutes and the results are expected soon,” a release from the Chief Minister’s office said.
Following this, CM Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked authorities to “inquire on how lead and nickel particles could have got into the bodies of the people of that region and asked to conduct a detailed study and submit a report.”
Reddy has also asked the public health personnel and other departments to “probe the issue deeply and find out the reasons for the illness,” the statement read.
Earlier, a team of experts from the WHO and the Health Ministry, arrived in Eluru on Tuesday.
Water and milk samples were also sent to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad for analysis of heavy metal content, sources in the Medical and Health Department said.