INDIA STUMPED BY INFECTION THAT KILLED ONE, DOWNED 400

One person has died and more than 400 have been taken to hospital in southern India due to an unidentified infection that caused many to fall unconscious following seizures and nausea, according to a senior health department official.

The illness was detected in Eluru, an ancient city in Andhra Pradesh state famous for its hand-woven products. Since then, patients have experienced symptoms ranging from nausea and anxiety to loss of consciousness, doctors said, Bloomberg reported.

Government and medical authorities in Andhra Pradesh said more than 200 people were discharged at the weekend and that tests had ruled out COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Further serological tests are under way, Al-Jazeera and Reuters also reported.

Separately, India’s federal health ministry said on Monday it would send a team of three medical experts to investigate the outbreak, which it said has infected more than 300 children. “The children reportedly suffered from dizziness, fainting spells, headaches and vomiting,” the ministry said, adding that a door-to-door survey was also under way. On Tuesday, officials said they are investigating if organochlorines used as pesticides or in mosquito control caused the outbreak. Organochlorines are banned or restricted in many countries after research linked them to cancer and other potential health risks. It was not immediately clear how extensively the chemicals are used in India, though it is found in DDT applied for mosquito control.