Saharanpur fever claims more lives
a mystery fever has hit Saharanpur and its neighbouring districts in western Uttar Pradesh. By October 15, the disease had afflicted 52 children, of whom 29 succumbed. Over the past two decades, outbreaks of this disease have occurred between the months of September and November in western up. Though health experts have carried out several investigations, they are yet to identify the cause of the disease.
A group of doctors had earlier suggested that the disease could have been caused by consumption of the beans of a local weed, Cassia occidentalis (locally called kasondi or panwad). They had communicated the findings of their study to state authorities (see