Zero Point By Javed Chaudhry

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<b>A mystery illness that has affected hundreds of children a year in northern India is</b></div>
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<b> caused by eating unripe lychee fruits on an empty stomach, scientists have discovered.</b></div>
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Since 1995, children in Muzaffarpur, Bihar have been seen to initially sustain a fever.</div>
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 <b>They then have seizures and convulsions before slipping in and out of consciousness. </b></div>
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<b>In Muzaffarpur, which is India's largest lychee cultivation region</b></div>
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<b> the illness was branded locally as "chanki ki bimari" or "tinsel disease".</b>  </div>
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In a joint investigation conducted by scientists from May-July 2014 - which coincided with</div>
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 the lychee harvesting season - it was determined that 122 out of 390 children who suffered</div>
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 from the disease had died.  </div>
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The investigation, which was reported in the British medical journal </div>
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<b>The Lancet Global Health on Tuesday (Jan 31), suggests that the deaths were</b></div>
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<b> caused by eating lychees on an empty stomach. </b></div>
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The researchers, who were from the US Centers for Disease Control and India’s National Centre</div>
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 for Disease Control, compared test results of children who had developed </div>
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the mysterious illness, and children who had not.</div>
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<b>Analysis of blood and spinal fluid samples showed no signs</b></div>
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<b> of infection or exposure to chemicals and insecticides.</b></div>
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<b>However, most of the children who had fallen ill had eaten lychee fruit recently.</b></div>
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<b> They were also more likely to have visited a fruit orchard in the previous 24 hours</b></div>
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<b> the study said.</b></div>
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The effect was compounded when the children skipped dinner </div>
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resulting in "night-time hypoglycaemia". </div>
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<b>As these children already had low blood sugar levels, the impact of eating lychees that </b></div>
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<b>contain toxins that inhibits the body's ability to produce glucose would sometimes </b></div>
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<b>see the children suffer seizures and convulsions in the middle of the night as a result</b></div>
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<b> of acute swelling of the brain</b>. </div>
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The toxins are found in higher quantities in unripe fruits, the report said. </div>
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<b>The research findings has led to health officials in the region informing parents</b></div>
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<b> to ensure their young children ate dinner and reduce the number of lychees consumed. </b></div>
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According to a report by the New York Times,  the number of reported cases per year</div>
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 has dropped to less than 50 from the hundreds affected in 2014. </div>
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<a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/health/children-in-india-killed-by-mystery-illness-linked-to-eating/3489440.html">                                                                                                           - CNA/am</a></div>
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Children in India killed by mystery illness linked to eating unripe lychees

A mystery illness that has affected hundreds of children a year in northern India is caused by eating unripe lychee fruits on an empty s...

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Children in India killed by mystery illness linked to eating unripe lychees