The emergence of a large number of new Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu) cases in various pockets, particularly in Prakasam and Krishna districts, has baffled the State government.
It is worrisome because even before the interdisciplinary studies of the CKDu in Uddhanam region of Srikakulam district reached a definite conclusion as to what caused the disease in epidemic proportions, scores of fresh cases started being reported from unsuspected areas like those in Prakasam and the tribal hamlets of Krishna district.
All these cases require a detailed clinical analysis like what is being done in Uddhanam, said T. Ravi Raju, former Vice-Chancellor of Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences (NTRUHS), under whose guidance a great deal of research had been done in the CKDu-hit villages in Srikakulam.
Speaking to The Hindu , Dr. Ravi Raju said hypertension and diabetes are leading causes of kidney failure and some congenital factors and infections are to be blamed in other instances.
CKDs is also widely reported from different parts of South America, Europe, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Nicaragua and other geographies.
Exposure to excessive heat and the consequent dehydration among sugarcane workers in Nicaragua has been identified as the cause for CKDu.
High levels of silica
In many CKDu-affected areas, high levels of silica are found in drinking water and the contamination was also likely due to pesticides, and in Prakasam fluoride is said to be responsible for the outbreak of kidney diseases.
Dr. Raju said it would be proper for the State government to take the new CKDu cases seriously to treat those already suffering from the end-stage renal disease and more importantly focus on prevention.
The expertise of scientists from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and other institutions and individual researchers should be availed in order to pinpoint the causes for so many CKDu cases.
The kind of emphasis laid under the Grand Challenge project jointly initiated by the Central and the State governments on demystifying the Uddhanam Nephropathy is required to tackle new cases, Dr. Raju suggested.
Dialysis centre
It may be noted that nearly hundred CKDu cases have surfaced at A.Konduru in Krishna district recently warranting the establishment of a dialysis centre.
