Santosh Patnaik
Visakhapatnam: Lead and nickel particulates were found in the samples of people suffering from mysterious disease with epilepsy symptoms at Eluru.
Even as exact cause is baffling experts, there is no let-up in the situation with cases on the rise since the mysterious disease was first reported on Saturday.
Total number of cases referred to hospitals was 561 out of which 450 were discharged by Tuesday.
Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday enquired on the preliminary findings of the mystery illness at Eluru.
Reddy directed the officials to be vigilant and conduct all the possible tests to find out the actual cause.
The officials informed that lead and nickel particulate matter was found in the blood samples of the patients in an investigation conducted by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) team. Similarly, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) is also conducting tests and the results are awaited.
The Chief Minister instructed the officials to submit a detailed report on the illness, tests conducted and the treatment being offered along with the reports of tests conducted on the milk and water. He told the 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.
The Public Health personnel and other department staff should also probe the issue deeply and find out the reasons for the illness, the Chief Minister said. Later he reviewed the medical facilities being provided to the victims.
