A Mysterious Illness Has Sickened 500 People in India. Here ’s What We Know – and What We Don’t

The headlines have been startling: More than 500 people sickened by a mysterious illness in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh—and doctors can’t figure out what is causing it. The news has spread across the world in viral fashion, not least because it bears faint echoes of the initial reports—nearly one year ago—of a “mysterious pneumonia-like virus” in the Chinese city of Wuhan. That illness, of course, became the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still raging across the world, having killed 1.5 million people. But in Andhra Pradesh, the situation is starting to look less dire—though still troubling. On Dec. 7, the state’s health minister ruled out viral infection, as well as air and water contamination. Initial fears of the new illness overwhelming the health system have subsided. Doctors in Eluru, the city where the illnesses were reported, have told the Indian Express that the number of cases have declined in the past two days and that patients have been recovering quickly. Along with government teams, experts from the World Health Organization are also on the ground. Door to door surveys have been ordered to monitor the health conditions of people as investigation into possible causes continue. Here’s what we know so far about the mysterious illness sickening people in Andhra Pradesh. What’s happening in Andhra Pradesh? Sai was out with his friends on Sunday when he developed seizures before falling unco...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Explainer India overnight Source Type: news