Amaravati, Dec 6: The mysterious disease that began spreading in Eluru city in Andhra Pradesh claimed one life on Sunday even as about 292 residents fell sick.
More than 140 of the patients have returned home after treatment at hospital while the condition of others was stable, the West Godavari district medical and health officials said.
Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy spoke with AP Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney over phone and enquired about the situation and said the Centre was ready to extend any possible help. The Union Home Ministry was also in touch with the Governor’s office over this, official sources here said.
Nothing has yet been established as to what caused the disease that saw people suddenly falling unconscious after suffering from symptoms of fits and nausea. Health authorities could not yet establish the cause of the sudden disease though blood tests and CT (brain) scan were performed.
Cerebral Spinal Fluid tests also turned out to be normal. The probable cause could become evident only after the culture test results came in.
According to district Joint Collector Himanshu Shukla, E-coli results were also awaited.
Himanshu told PTI that expert scientists from the National Institute of Nutrition and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology from Hyderabad would arrive in Eluru on Monday for diagnosing the cause of the disease.
A 24×7 control room has been set up in the Eluru Municipal Corporation office. Milk samples were also collected at random and sent for examination in Vijayawada.
A 45-year-old man, who was admitted to the GGH in Eluru this morning with symptoms of nausea and epilepsy, died in the evening.
Majority of the people who suffered the sickness had recovered within a few minutes but at least seven persons were shifted to the Government General Hospital in Vijayawada on Sunday for better treatment.
All the patients tested negative for COVID-19.
Special teams of doctors have been rushed to Eluru to treat the victims while a house-to-house survey has been undertaken to identify prospective patients.
State Health Commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar also rushed to Eluru to review the situation and monitor the treatment.
BJP MP G V L Narasimha Rao, who spoke to state Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney, said a five-member team of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Mangalagiri here was sent Eluru to treat the patients. (PTI)
