Other States - Uttar Pradesh   

Dropsy claims third victim

LUCKNOW, FEB 22. Dropsy has claimed its third victim in the Uttar Pradesh capital amidst allegations that the administration has failed to check the supply of adulterated mustard oil.

A 12-year-old girl died yesterday after battling for life at a local hospital for three days. Neha died of a heart attack after initially recovering from the effects of dropsy. Medical authorities admitted that the heart attack was caused by the effects of dropsy.

Akash (8) had died on February 5 and Surekha (14) had died on February 21 due to dropsy.

Dropsy had spread to the Hyder Canal area of Rajajipuram in the city in the first week of February. So far over 105 people, mostly children and teenagers have been detected to be suffering from this disease.

Health officials have said that the crushed seeds of argemone mexicans mixed with mustard oil prove to be a fatal concoction. The argemone seeds have toxins which result in swelling of limbs. The patients could even have negative effect on their hearts as the swelling in the area could prove fatal.

There had been allegations that the health department and the district administration have failed to check the flow of adulterated mustard oil. Traders, who had allegedly mixed argemone mexicana seeds with mustard oil, had been resisting efforts to collect samples from their outlets.

There had also been clashes between health department teams and traders on several occasions. The sample collection drive has received a setback as food inspectors were holding demonstrations to protest attacks on their colleagues by some traders. -- UNI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

Teenage boy returns home
U.P. donates Rs. 9 crores to PM's Fund
Mulayam's intervention sought in scribe's case
Dropsy claims third victim

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu