17-Year-Old Girl Dies After Brain Complications Linked to Contaminated Cabbage in Amroha

Amroha/Rambabu Mittal: In a tragic incident from Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, 17-year-old student Ilma lost her life after consuming contaminated cabbage used in fast food. Doctors suspect that parasites or infection from the cabbage led to the formation of nodules in her brain. Despite several days of intensive treatment, doctors in Delhi were unable to save her.

Illness and Treatment
Ilma, originally from Chuchela Kala village, recently moved with her family to Noida, where her father Nadeem Akhtar started a scrap business. She was a Class 12 student at a city college. About a month ago, she developed a high fever. Local treatment provided no relief, prompting her family to take her to Noida, where doctors identified nodules in her brain.

As her condition worsened, Ilma was transferred to Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi on 22 December. Brain surgery was performed on Saturday, but despite all efforts, she succumbed to her illness on the morning of 30 December.

Cause and Community Concern
Hospital doctors have suggested that parasites or infections present in fast-food cabbage may have caused the brain complications, though final confirmation will follow lab reports. Ilma’s body was brought back to her village on Monday night and laid to rest.

This tragic case follows a similar recent incident in Amroha, where another teenager, Ahana, reportedly died due to contaminated fast food. The recurring cases have raised alarm over negligence by fast-food vendors and the risk posed to children’s health.

Expert Advice
Dr. Tanuraj Sirohi, former IMA President, expressed serious concern over the incident. He explained that vegetables like cabbage can harbor parasites such as tapeworms, whose eggs attach to vegetables through contaminated soil or water. If not washed properly or consumed undercooked, these infections can spread through the bloodstream to the brain, potentially causing life-threatening neurocysticercosis. Common symptoms include severe headaches and seizures.

Doctors are urging the public to prefer freshly prepared, hygienic home-cooked meals and to wash and cook vegetables thoroughly before consumption to avoid such tragedies.