Amaravati, February 26: In Andhra Pradesh’s Rajahmundry, 15 individuals are still receiving treatment in hospitals due to milk contamination. Officials provided this update on Thursday.
This incident has resulted in the deaths of five people, while 15 others are ill and being treated across six different hospitals. Among the patients, one is on a ventilator, six are undergoing dialysis, and eight are receiving both treatments.
On Thursday, the government disclosed detailed information about the incident, which had previously caused significant uproar. An official note highlighted the actions taken by various departments in response.
According to officials, the situation is currently under control. Senior authorities, including the health commissioner and the food safety director, have been deployed for monitoring. Further actions will be determined after lab reports and investigation results are received.
The first patient was admitted to the hospital on February 16. By February 24, a total of 20 individuals had been admitted, with five fatalities reported. Among the deceased is a six-year-old child, and three victims were over 70 years old.
On February 22, the district medical and health officer of East Godavari received information from KIMS Hospital about several elderly patients who were admitted with symptoms such as urinary retention, vomiting, abdominal pain, and severe kidney failure, necessitating dialysis.
Investigations revealed elevated levels of urea and serum creatinine in the patients’ blood, indicating exposure to toxic substances. Preliminary inquiries suggest that the consumption of contaminated milk may be the potential cause of this illness.
Officials discovered that 106 families in the village of Narasapuram, located in the Korukonda mandal, received milk from the Varalakshmi Milk Dairy. The supply from this dairy has been immediately halted. A door-to-door survey was conducted on February 25.
Nine medical teams covered 110 families and examined a total of 307 individuals. Six homes were found locked, but contact was made via phone, and no symptoms were reported from those families. Blood samples from 315 individuals were collected for testing. Only two samples showed some abnormalities, but they were not linked to the milk contamination.
Rapid response teams, including district surveillance officers, general medicine specialists, microbiologists, pediatricians, forensic experts, epidemiologists, and nephrologists, have been formed.
Fourteen field surveillance teams visited 679 homes and examined 957 families. Twelve blood and three urine samples were sent to IIT Tirupati for testing for nephrotoxic agents.
The food safety officer inspected the Varalakshmi Milk Dairy in Narasapuram, collecting samples of milk, cheese, ghee, drinking water, and vinegar. Samples from affected households were also taken for analysis.
Some samples were sent to JNTU Kakinada, while others were dispatched to a lab in Hyderabad. The samples are being tested for microbial, chemical, and toxic contaminants.
Police have registered a case based on a complaint from the son of one of the deceased. The suspected milk vendor, Addala Ganeshwar Rao, 33, a resident of Narasapuram, has been detained.
Authorities are investigating the milk supply chain and identifying affected individuals. A team of four veterinarians is also examining the case, having collected 41 milk samples. Samples of feed, water, and other food items given to animals have also been taken for testing and sent to the Veterinary Biological Research Institute in Vijayawada.
The investigation is ongoing.
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