Paderu locals cautioned against consuming contaminated meat after several fall ill

The ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) Project Officer Dr Venkateswar on Thursday visited the District Hospital in Visakhapatnam to meet the patients who had fallen ill after eating contaminated meat in Gangaraju Madugula mandal, Paderu. The Project Officer, a Doctor by profession, inquired about each patient’s well-being at the hospital and advised them to stay away from under-cooked and preserved meats during the monsoon season. Further, Dr Venkateshwar warned that consuming the meat of dead animals could lead to diarrhoea and other serious illnesses, as the cause of their death is ambiguous.

The officer instructed the hospital authorities to provide the patients with nutrition-rich foods during their recovery period. He stated that all patients have recovered and will be discharged from the district hospital in a day. The local authorities were also asked to chlorinate the water reserves in the mandal. Instructions were given to conduct a three-day medical camp at the village during this week. Further, the Additional DMHO, MPDO and Tahsildar were asked to visit the village and conduct inspections on cleanliness.

Nearly 76 residents of Magatapalem village in Gangaraju Madugula mandal suffered from food poisoning on Wednesday after consuming contaminated meat. Official reports stated that after a cow that belonged to one of the locals died, approximately twenty households in the village had consumed beef on Tuesday. Locals of Magatapalem said the cow had been frothing at its mouth when it died. However, the cause of its death is still unclear. All villagers who consumed the dead cow’s meat developed symptoms of gastroenteritis, vomiting and diarrhea on Wednesday evening.
Paderu MLA K Bhagyalakshmi also visited the patients at the hospital. She instructed the local health authorities to monitor the health of these patients closely and inform the local Public Health Centre in case of any abnormalities in health condition.