The mystery disease of Eluru

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The mystery disease of Eluru

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• Sudden shock of disease: Citizens in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, started collapsing due to seizures, in December 2020. After recovering, they'd still get shivers, headaches and dizziness.
• Health workers confused: The arrival of otherwise normal citizens in local health centres was a surprise, and the numbers kept growing steadily. No identifiable cause of the disease could be found immediately. Alongwith Covid-19, this was a new headache.
• Scramble: As cases rose, the WHO, state govt., and central govt. officials rushed to find the cause of this 'new disease'. Cases were traced back to their origins, and a few localities zeroed upon. The problem was that there was no pattern to when the disease first struck the afflicted.
• Emergency measures: The government rushed teams of workers and experts to do a micro examination of what was happening. Blood samples, as well as water and milk samples were collected and examined. Door-to-door surveys were carried out across thousands of homes. 
• What caused it: After extensive tests of water, cerebral spinal fluid, blood and milk were done, and CT scans taken, traces of heavy metals like lead and nickel were found. So the patients may have consumed a "neurotoxic contaminant". The CSIR and CCMB conducted high-tech sequencing tests to study the microbiomes of samples from affected individuals. No infectious organism was detected.
• Likely cause: Since the microbiomes came from healthy people, it is likely that the disease was caused by a one-time event in a localised context. It is a point-source outbreak. A panel was constituted to investigate this source.
• What was found: The govt. said that the chance that pesticide residues triggered this outbreak, is high. The route of entry into human bodies is yet to be ascertained. Public labs are being set up in each district to continue testing the soil, water and food to avoid repetition of this. In this context, the CM also wanted farmers to take up natural farming sans pesticides.
• Lead and nickel: The AIIMS team concluded that the blood samples had lead and nickel, and water had nickel. The presence of "organochloride" may be responsible, and it may have entered human bodies through pesticides in food cycle. Testing for more months may be needed to finalise the conclusions. Geotagging of samples is recommended.
• Deeper testing: When water samples from various parts of Eluru were tested, no traces of lead, arsenic, heavy metals, or pesticides were found. But blood samples contained endosulfan and DDT (both hazardous), and also lead. But no organophosphates were present. 

1. Air, soil and ground water samples were taken, and air quality was found proper. 
2. Except mercury, all other metals in surface and groundwater were in limits.
3. Groundwater had more mercuty, compared to surface water, because solid waste is burned here.

• Pathogens: In the serum and urine samples, no bacterial or virus were found. So infections are ruled out. But pesticide residues were found in tomato and brinjal samples.
• Aqua and Agri exports: Eluru is a major hub of these exports, and shrimp and fish are stored and exported. High and intensive use of chemicals and pesticides is normal. General cleanliness is pathetic in the Eluru town, with all canals filled with garbage and plastic. So non-organic fertilisers, pesticides, insecticides and antibiotics are all seeping into the groundwater.
• Eluru no longer the same: Visitors to the city have reduced, people carry their own water and food when coming here, and passenger down shutters when trains pull into Eluru station. The disease with no name has harmed the town's reputation significantly. But new cases have now dwindled, and old ones treated and discharged.

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