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Mystery illness strikes India, 150 hospitalised

Victims started vomiting after complaining of burning eyes while some fainted or suffered seizures.

Staff Writers
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The illness struck as India continues to battle its coronavirus pandemic which is keeping it near the top of the list of most infected countries in the world. Photo: AP
The illness struck as India continues to battle its coronavirus pandemic which is keeping it near the top of the list of most infected countries in the world. Photo: AP

Authorities in India are trying to find the cause of an unidentified illness which has led to around 150 people being admitted to hospital over the weekend.

Doctors said the patients, from Eluru in Andhra Pradesh, had a wide range of symptoms from nausea to fits and falling unconscious.

The illness struck as India continues to battle its coronavirus pandemic which is keeping it near the top of the list of most infected countries in the world.

Local media said the patients have all now had coronavirus tests, all of which were negative.

A medical officer at Eluru Government Hospital told The Indian Express, “The people who fell sick, especially the children, suddenly started vomiting after complaining of burning eyes. Some of them fainted or suffered bouts of seizures”.

Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas said that blood samples did not find any evidence of a viral infection. “We ruled out water contamination or air pollution as the cause after officials visited the areas where people fell sick,” he said. “It is some mystery illness and only lab analysis will reveal what it is.”

The opposition Telugu Desam party, has called for an enquiry into the incident, insisting that contamination was the cause of the mystery illness.