In Shegaon tehsil of Buldhana district, over 55 residents across the villages of Bondgaon, Kalwad, and Hingna have experienced an unusual health issue: sudden and severe hair loss.
The affected individuals, including farmers and laborers, reported losing large amounts of hair within days, with some going completely bald.
The First Reported Cases
The issue first surfaced on January 2, when three women in a single household in Bondgaon began experiencing extreme hair fall. Doctors at a nearby public health center initially attributed it to a specific hair-washing product and prescribed temporary medication. However, as more cases emerged, local authorities escalated the matter to district-level officials.
Villagers describe the hair loss as so severe that even light touches cause hair to fall in clumps. Bondgaon resident Digambar Imale said, “Within a week, many of us lost all our hair.” Local doctors expressed confusion, with one advising affected individuals to seek treatment at government hospitals. However, initial visits yielded no answers or effective remedies.
Government Response and Investigation
Health officials have begun investigating the cause of the outbreak. Dr. Deepali Bhayekar, a tehsil medical officer, reported that samples of water, hair, and skin were collected from the affected villages for analysis. Early investigations are focusing on water quality, with samples being tested at a lab in Pune.
Dr. Amol Gite, the district medical officer, suggested that a fungal infection might be responsible, though results from tests on blood, skin, and water samples are awaited for confirmation. Meanwhile, residents have stopped using local water and are sourcing it from nearby areas.
Dr. Sanjay Mahajan, a medical practitioner with 24 years of experience in the region, believes the outbreak could be linked to fungal infections caused by moisture in the hair roots after washing with saline water. He also pointed to environmental changes, such as global warming and altered groundwater quality due to increased rainfall, as potential contributing factors.
Calls for Improved Hygiene
Doctors have urged villagers to improve hygiene practices while awaiting test results. The district collector, Kiran Patil, ruled out water contamination as a likely cause, given that the villages have used the same water supply for generations. However, the use of saline water with high total dissolved solids (TDS) levels might play a role.
Health officials are providing preliminary treatment to affected individuals and plan to take further action once the test results are available. For now, the mystery remains unsolved, leaving villagers anxious about the possibility of a larger health or environmental crisis.
