According to reports, it all starts with severe scalp itching, followed by full hair loss in three days. Over 150 people, including men, women, and children, have been impacted so far. At least 400 others have reported symptoms.
The affected villages with the illness include Bondgaon, Bhota, Hingna and Pahur Purna. The locals are calling this disease the ‘Baldness Virus’. Residents experiencing hair loss have shaved their heads.
When the mysterious illness came to light, local authorities launched an immediate inquiry into potential water contamination and collected samples for testing. However, the exact cause of this condition remains unidentified.
Shegaon health officer Dr Deepali Bahekar said the treatment for the affected people has begun. Bahekar told PTI, “The department has started medical treatment of the patients as per the symptoms, and advice from skincare specialists is also being taken.”
According to Dr Anil Banker, a medical officer in Shegaon, contaminated water, fungal infections, nutritional deficiencies, or adverse reactions to cosmetic products may have caused baldness.
Earlier, district health officer Amol Geete said that in most of the cases, the reason behind the hair fall was a fungal infection of the scalp.
“As soon as we got the information, we sent a skin specialist and an epidemiologist to the village for the primary investigation. Around 99% of the cases show a fungal infection of the scalp, due to which people experience hair fall. We will also test the water to see if there are heavy metals in it, because they boost fungal infection,” Geete added.
The health officer added, “We will take skin samples of 2 to 4 patients and send them to Akola Medical College for microscopy.”
(Edited by : Priyanka Deshpande)
