Health officials in India, according to a CNN report, have found excessive amounts of lead and nickel in blood samples taken from patients treated in Andhra Pradesh.
Patients reported a number of symptoms such as seizures (which can last up to 5 minutes), loss of consciousness and nausea.
Preliminary results from a study conducted by a team from the Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) showed high concentrations of lead and nickel particles in patients' blood samples.
At the same time, no traces of lead and nickel were found in water samples examined by AIIMS in Delhi, while it does not appear that the polluted air may be responsible.
Of the 505 people who were hospitalized, 300 were discharged and the man who died was 45 years old without any other illness. People from different parts of India, including 70 children, have been infected.
The disease of unknown origin was detected last Saturday in the ancient city of Elurou and comes to add to the drama that India is experiencing with the coronavirus, as it is in the top three countries with the most deaths from Covid-19 worldwide.