Adulterated mustard oil behind 3 dropsy deaths in Nabha: Patiala report
Three members of the family died in September, with two women aged 26 and 32, succumbing at private hospitals, while a 72-year-old man died at his residence. A 7-year-old girl is undergoing treatment in Patiala.
Three members of the family died in September, with two women aged 26 and 32, succumbing at private hospitals, while a 72-year-old man died at his residence. A 7-year-old girl is undergoing treatment in Patiala.
The Kharar-based state food lab report has confirmed that mustard oil adulterated with the poisonous argemone mexicana seeds led to the deaths of three members of a family due to dropsy in Nabha last month.
“The lab report has confirmed the Nabha family used mustard oil adulterated with argemone mexicana seed. We have already surveyed the area where the family fell ill, and no other individual was found suffering from dropsy,” said Patiala civil surgeon Dr Jatinder Kansal.
Three members of the family died in September, with two women aged 26 and 32, succumbing at private hospitals, while a 72-year-old man died at his residence. A 7-year-old girl is undergoing treatment in Patiala.
The matter came to light when a 52-year-old woman, who is a family member of the three deceased, was admitted to PGIMER-Chandigarh. The doctors at PGI, while taking the medical history of the admitted woman, diagnosed the symptoms as that of dropsy. The PGI doctors alerted the Patiala health department, which collected the samples and sent them for testing.
Dropsy is a clinical state resulting from the use of edible oils adulterated with Argemone mexicana seed oil. The most common symptoms include bilateral pitting edema, erythema, localised tenderness, and cardiac and respiratory issues.
Meanwhile, Dr Divjot Singh of Patiala health department said that a religious devotee had reportedly donated the mustard seeds to the family in August.
After a few days, the family got the oil extracted and as soon as the family started consuming adulterated mustard oil, the members started falling sick, he added.
“Two women of the family died at private hospitals in Patiala while the third member, who was a 72-year-old male, died at their home,” Dr Divjot said.
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