In a significant development following the concerning deaths of children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced on Friday that tests conducted on cough syrup samples have revealed no harmful contaminants. Specifically, laboratory analyses detected neither Diethylene Glycol (DEG) nor Ethylene Glycol (EG) – substances known to cause severe kidney damage.
“As per the test results, none of the samples contained DEG or EG contaminants,” the ministry stated. This finding comes after a joint investigation team, comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Institute of Virology (NIV), and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), collected samples in collaboration with state authorities. The Madhya Pradesh State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) also corroborated these findings, testing three samples and confirming the absence of DEG and EG.
While these tests have ruled out contamination in the cough syrup, the Health Ministry has assured the public that a multi-disciplinary expert team is actively probing other potential causes for the children’s illnesses. The ongoing investigation includes examining water samples, entomological vectors, and respiratory specimens. Notably, investigations into one case identified Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection often spread through contaminated water, as a possible factor.
In light of these events, the ministry has issued an advisory to all states and Union Territories, emphasizing the importance of the “rational use of cough syrups in paediatric population.” The advisory specifically highlighted that dextromethorphan-based formulations, like the one under scrutiny, are not recommended for children.
The inquiry also led drug control officers to inspect a pharmaceutical manufacturing unit in Sunguvarchatram, Tamil Nadu, following concerns that medicines from this facility might be linked to the incidents. Families of the affected children reported that symptoms initially presented as common cold, cough, and fever, before progressing to severe kidney complications.