Page 61 - Veritas

CASE STUDIES

lar pains. Epidemiology and Microbiology experts from Vijayawada went
to Eluru to ascertain the cause of the illness. Services of psychiatrists and

psychologists were also used to counsel the patients as several of them

are distressed”. Some of the discharged patients said they did not know
what happened to them, and they were informed later that they had bouts
of convulsions. Most of them said they consumed tap water as usual and

started vomiting before fainting.

Assumptions:
Assumptions:

Vomiting, headache, and seizures among patients in Eluru are not related

to the sequence of symptoms of any known disease, say medical experts.
There may be chances of encephalitis, but again the initial sequence of
symptoms does not match as well. In some cases, the patients fainted first

and then frothed.

Waterborne disease symptoms:
Waterborne disease symptoms:
• Vomiting

• Stomachache

• Headache
• Seizure

The Actual Cause:
The Actual Cause:

Eluru has a great water system having lakes which were inhabited by fish-
es. Due to floods and severe pollution in the lakes, the fishes suffered

disease and their wastage in the lakes led to this illness. The lake water

interfered with the drinking water, and the same water was used for agri-
culture where the crop and yield developed the organic elements in them.
This has caused people to suffer from an unknown disease. Nickel has been

found in the samples of blood, urine, and stool as well as from milk, rice,

dal, vegetables, pesticides, soil, and water too.

Investigation:
Investigation:

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, found traces of lead

46 VERITAS