MANILA, Philippines –
Hundreds of individuals have been rushed to the hospital, leaving one dead after a ‘mysterious disease’ hit residents in India.
Fear gripped among the residents of Andhra Pradesh in southern India after an unidentified illness broke out on Monday, December 7. According to senior health department officials, over 400 were hospitalized after feeling nauseous, experiencing seizures and many even fell unconscious.
Government and medical authorities confirmed that more than 200 individuals have been discharged. And while Andhra Pradesh is also among the worst-affected by COVID-19 in India, experts ruled out the possibility of the novel coronavirus as the cause of the recent health outbreak.
It is still unclear on the real reason behind the outbreak as further serological tests are still underway. However, experts also noted how the illness appeared in all age groups. It also infected over 300 children.
"The causes of the outbreak are not known yet," the state government said in a statement.
India's federal health ministry assured that a team of three medical experts will further investigate the details of the mystery illness.
"The children reportedly suffered from dizziness, fainting spells, headache and vomiting," the ministry said, adding that a door-to-door survey was also underway.
Following the outbreak, the state health department already confirmed its first fatality. Geeta Prasadini, a public health director in Andhra Pradesh state said that a 45-year-old man died.
"We have taken the patients' blood samples for serological investigation and bacterial investigation to rule out any type of meningitis," Prasadini said.
She said that part of their investigation is to look into the water supplies of 20 locations within the city of Eluru, where the first case was reported, and its neighboring areas.
— Sally, The Summit Express
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| Photo Credit: BBC/EPA |
Fear gripped among the residents of Andhra Pradesh in southern India after an unidentified illness broke out on Monday, December 7. According to senior health department officials, over 400 were hospitalized after feeling nauseous, experiencing seizures and many even fell unconscious.
Government and medical authorities confirmed that more than 200 individuals have been discharged. And while Andhra Pradesh is also among the worst-affected by COVID-19 in India, experts ruled out the possibility of the novel coronavirus as the cause of the recent health outbreak.
It is still unclear on the real reason behind the outbreak as further serological tests are still underway. However, experts also noted how the illness appeared in all age groups. It also infected over 300 children.
"The causes of the outbreak are not known yet," the state government said in a statement.
India's federal health ministry assured that a team of three medical experts will further investigate the details of the mystery illness.
"The children reportedly suffered from dizziness, fainting spells, headache and vomiting," the ministry said, adding that a door-to-door survey was also underway.
Following the outbreak, the state health department already confirmed its first fatality. Geeta Prasadini, a public health director in Andhra Pradesh state said that a 45-year-old man died.
"We have taken the patients' blood samples for serological investigation and bacterial investigation to rule out any type of meningitis," Prasadini said.
She said that part of their investigation is to look into the water supplies of 20 locations within the city of Eluru, where the first case was reported, and its neighboring areas.
— Sally, The Summit Express
