Experts link nail deformity, hair loss cases in Buldhana patients with selenium exposure

Nail deformity or shedding can be caused by several reasons, such as exposure to different metals. Photo: Special arrangement

The Buldhana Regional Health Bureau in Maharashtra has identified 37 patients with nail deformities. These are patients from 15 Shegaon Taluka villages in the region who experienced severe hair loss in December 2024. Dr. Amol Gite, a health official in Buldhana, said Sarpanch of the village informed him of information about the incident three days ago and sent a medical team to check patients.

Dr. Gite said: “Narrow deformities are different; some are separating from the nail bed, while others are bent and deep in the middle of the nail and slowly falling off. After identifying them, we gave them calcium and multivitamin supplements. They differ from adults and people of all ages, and some recruits and some suffering, but they suffer, but they suffer, but they suffer, but they suffer, but they suffer, but they suffer, but they suffer, but they suffer, but they are back.

Dr. Gite said nail deformity or shedding can be caused by several reasons, such as exposure to different metals. He added: “We have not received a report from the Indian Council on Medical Research (ICMR) that can reveal the actual causes that can help us solve the root cause.”

In February, health experts said that wheat sourcing in Punjab and Haryana is said to be distributed through Buldhana’s ration shop and is said to contain significantly high levels of selenium.

Health experts said Thursday that exposure to high selenium levels can lead to extreme hair loss and further lead to nail loss and deformity.

All affected people are from low economic classes, mainly engaged in agriculture and contract work.

In December 2024 and January 2025, more than 190 people from 15 Shegaon villages fell into a strange state of hair loss, resulting in children, male and female baldness since the age of four. Experts from ICMR have said the scientific term for this condition is Anagen Offluvium, a kind of hair loss occurs when hair is damaged during the growth stage. This is a non-masking form of hair loss.

Delhi, a team of experts from the ICMR Institute of Ethnic Epidemiology (AIIMS) in Chennai, Delhi collected samples that were sent to the ICMR-National Institute of Environmental Health (NIREH) laboratory in Bhopal and AIIMS Delhi to find the cause of hair loss. Samples were collected from 155 people of all ages.

The dermatology team from ICMR and AIIMS collected samples of hair, blood, urine, water, biopsy samples from scalp, environmental and biological samples. These patients have no common symptoms and have no health problems such as fever or diarrhea. They allegedly do not use products such as shampoo or conditioner. Those suffering from hair loss and nail deformities eagerly await the report, hoping it can hold the key to solving their unexplained health problems.