The death toll in a suspected milk adulteration incident in East Godavari district has risen to 13, while 7 people continue to receive treatment at hospitals in Rajamahendravaram, officials said on Thursday.
According to health department officials, the cluster of cases was first detected on February 22 after several elderly residents were admitted to hospitals with symptoms including anuria, vomiting, abdominal pain, and acute renal dysfunction requiring dialysis. Residents from Chowdeswaranagar and Swaroopanagar areas of Lalacheruvu reportedly fell ill after consuming milk suspected to be adulterated and supplied in the locality.
Authorities stated that strong epidemiological indicators point towards milk adulteration as the probable cause, prompting coordinated action by multiple departments. Medical examinations revealed elevated levels of blood urea and serum creatinine among the affected persons, indicating possible toxic exposure.
Blood and urine samples of the affected persons confirmed the presence of the toxic chemical ethylene glycol after toxicological examination.
Preliminary investigations suggested that contaminated milk was the main source of exposure. The milk was reportedly supplied to nearly 106 families by Varalakshmi Milk Dairy in Narasapuram village of Korukonda mandal. Following the discovery, the supply was immediately halted.
Emergency medical camps have been set up in the affected localities, with doctors and ambulance services deployed round the clock. Rapid Response Teams comprising the district surveillance officer, physicians, microbiologists, paediatricians, forensic experts, epidemiologists, and nephrologists have also been constituted to manage the situation.
Meanwhile, the Food Safety Department inspected the dairy unit linked to the supply and collected samples of milk, paneer, ghee, drinking water, and vinegar for further investigation. The samples have been sent to laboratories, including Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada and VIMTA Labs in Hyderabad, for microbial, physico-chemical, and toxic adulterant analysis.
Police have taken the suspected milk vendor, Addala Ganeswararao (33), a resident of Narasapuram village, into custody, and the dairy unit associated with the supply has been sealed.
Teams from CLUES (Crime Scene Linking Understanding Evidence and Science) and forensic experts inspected the premises, while post-mortem samples were sent to the Regional Forensic Laboratory in Vijayawada.
Police said investigations are underway to trace the distribution network and identify other consumers who may have been affected.
The Animal Husbandry Department has also formed a team of four veterinary doctors who collected 41 milk samples along with cattle feed and water samples. These have been sent to the Veterinary Biological Research Institute in Vijayawada for analysis.
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