Mystery solved

Mystery solved

For decades, seemingly healthy children in the Bihar region of northern India had been suffering sudden seizures and loss of consciousness, always during the scorchingly hot...

Mystery solved

For decades, seemingly healthy children in the Bihar region of northern India had been suffering sudden seizures and loss of consciousness, always during the scorchingly hot summer months of May and June, before the arrival of the annual monsoon rains in July. Almost half of the affected children died, baffling doctors. Research published last month has finally claimed to have solved the mystery, suggesting the children were not ill, but had been poisoned by eating too many lychees on an empty stomach.

to solve/résoudre – decade/décennie – seemingly/en apparence – healthy/en bonne santé - to suffer/souffrir-être victime de – seizure/crise, convulsion – loss/perte – consciousness/conscience; ici, connaissance – scorching/torride, caniculaire – almost/presque, quasi - to baffle/déconcerter - to claim/affirmer - to poison/empoisonner – empty/vide