By JADA LEMOS
Staff Writer
In the city of Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India, more than 300 people have been hospitalized from an unidentified illness. According to local officials investigating the cases, one individual has died from this unknown sickness.
The patients in Eluru have symptoms including seizures, loss of consciousness, and some nausea over the weekend, said Dolla Joshi Roy, the district surveillance officer of Eluru’s West Godavari District. As of right now, India continues battling the COVID-19 pandemic with the second highest number of infections. All of the patients have tested negative for COVID-19, and around 180 patients have been discharged from hospitals.
A note was released by Andhra Pradesh’s Health Department that stated that the initial blood tests didn’t have any evidence of a viral infection. Authorities are currently testing water samples in Eluru for any signs of contaminations, as all the patients received water from a common source. “This cause is still unknown, but still, we are doing all kinds of testing, including testing food and milk,” said Roy. Specialists from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and a neurologist from out of state have also arrived in Eluru to conduct more tests, and are waiting for the results.