2 more persons hospitalised with symptoms of Eluru’s mysterious disease die

Two more persons who were afflicted with the mysterious disease in Andhra Pradesh’s Eluru died at a hospital in Vijayawada late Wednesday night but doctors said the causes of death were different.

The deceased were identified as Subbaravamma (56) and Chandra Rao (50), who were admitted to the Eluru government hospital on Sunday with symptoms of convulsions and giddiness. They were shifted to a government hospital Vijayawada on Monday.

Andhra Pradesh health minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas alias Nani told reporters after visiting the Vijayawada hospital on Thursday that the two deaths were not because of the “strange disease” that struck Eluru.

“They were indeed admitted to the hospital with similar symptoms. However, doctors have confirmed that one of them, Subbaravamma, succumbed to Covid-19 and the other person Chandra Rao died of heart stroke,” the minister said.

Eluru government hospital superintendent A V R Mohan said so far, only one person – Sridhar (45) -- died of the symptoms of the mysterious disease. “The other two also had these symptoms but they died of other health complications,” he said.

He said the two patients had been admitted to the Eluru hospital first with symptoms of mysterious disease. “But since they had other serious health issues, we shifted them to Vijayawada hospital,” he said.

State chief secretary Neelam Sawhney visited the government hospital at Eluru on Thursday and interacted with the patients. She later held a meeting with the experts from All India Institute of Medical Sciences and doctors of the hospitals to find out the latest position.

The Eluru hospital superintendent said the number of cases of mysterious disease was gradually declining. As on Thursday evening, the total number of patients who suffered from the disease was 599 of which 528 patients were discharged. “Only nine persons got admitted since morning,” he said.

Mohan said doctors, with the support of ward secretariat staff, had been observing the condition of the discharged patients. “Experts from various institutes have been probing the cases in all angles. They have also collected blood samples from even animals and food substances like rice, pulses and vegetables in Eluru but also in surrounding villages,” he said.

The health minister said results of various tests conducted on blood, water and food samples were expected by Friday evening. “The experts are studying how traces of heavy metals were found in the blood samples of patients. The government is conducting medical camps in the affected areas to give treatment if there are any symptoms of the strange disease,” Nani added.