Selenium in blood, hair samples of the affected: ICMR report

Over a month after reports of rapid hair loss emerged from 15 villages of Buldhana district, a team of experts from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has identified selenium, a kind of heavy metal, in the blood and hair samples taken from the affected individuals.

- Niraj Pandit

MUMBAI:

The findings are a result of an extensive investigation, which included sample collection and research conducted in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

HT has seen a copy of ICMR's report which will be submitted to Prataprao Jadhav, minister of state for AYUSH and MP from Buldhana, most likely today.

The malady, which surfaced in December 2024, first left medical professionals and scientists puzzled.

So far, approximately 300 cases have officially been reported from Shegaon tehsil, though locals suggest the actual number may be higher.

More than 50 scientists visited the affected villages in the first two weeks following the outbreak.

A member of the ICMR team, who was involved in the research, confirmed that selenium was found in the biological samples of the affected individuals.

The source of the contamination will be revealed when the report is presented to the government, he said.