Over 150 people have been affected by a mysterious health condition informally dubbed as the "baldness virus" in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, with at least 400 more showing symptoms of rapid hair loss for unknown reasons, local media reported on Monday.
The affected people are men, women, and children from 15 villages in Maharashtra's Buldhana district, the Times of India reported.
The condition begins with persistent scalp itching and rapidly progresses to severe hair loss, sometimes within just three days, the media outlet said, adding that authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of this phenomenon.
Water samples have been collected for testing to check for potential contamination. However, the exact origin of the disturbing conditions is still unknown, according to the media report.
While further investigation is ongoing, preliminary tests rule out a fungal infection.
Blood samples from the affected people also showed no correlation with the symptoms.
The region's groundwater, particularly in the Purna basin, is known to have high levels of fluoride, which previous studies have linked to various health issues. However, it remains unclear whether this could be connected to the current outbreak.
Meanwhile, medical authorities are treating the symptoms at local primary health care facilities while they investigate the causes of this mysterious condition.
