Suddenly they became nauseated and dizzy. More than 500 residents of Eluru, a city in southeastern India, had to be hospitalized last weekend. A 45-year-old man died of complications from the infection.
For a moment, there were fears for a new variant of the corona virus. But initial investigations into the cause of the infections seem to rule out that threat.
Blood values
For example, the people who were felled tested negative for the corona virus. However, many patients whose blood was tested turned out to have something else in common. Dozens of people had high levels of lead and nickel in their blood.
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According to Indian researchers, heavy metals in the drinking water are the reason for these blood values. That water may have been polluted by pesticides sprinkled on nearby farmland.
But the Indian newspaper Indian Express writes that the water could also be polluted in other ways. Bleach and chlorine, for example, are widely used as cleaning agents against the corona virus. These substances may also have ended up in the water.
Puzzle
But people who only drank bottled water also suffer from infections. To solve the riddle, in addition to the blood of those affected, the water from the environment is also tested.
Several channels around the city run along farmland. That is why samples of vegetables and milk are also being investigated.
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The local hospitals now seem to have passed the enormous peak of last weekend. Yesterday only twenty new people came forward with complaints. A team from the World Health Organization is on site for further investigation.
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Contaminated drinking water is a major problem in India
As big as on this scale is exceptional. But infections from contaminated drinking water are common, according to Eva Oude Elferink. She works as a correspondent for RTL News in India, among others, and often sees things go wrong.
“There is actually no place in India where you can drink water directly from the tap without risk. Even in the big cities such as New Delhi you have to be careful. I have a filter that cleans the water before it comes out of the tap. But that does not apply to everyone here. “
Tons of bacteria
According to recent research nearly 40 million liters of wastewater end up in Indian rivers and other water sources every day. Consider, for example, industrial water from large companies that drains through open sewers. It ensures that an estimated 70 percent of the surface water in India is unfit for consumption.
For decades millions of Indians have not had access to clean drinking water. “As a result, it often happens that children develop abdominal complaints and diarrhea at a young age. People get a lot of bacteria through the dirty water. Yet that does not make the situation in Eluru less striking. It does not happen often . “
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