Thiruvananthapuram: A cow and a calf in Thengamam, Pathanamthitta, succumbed to death due to the consumption of oleander (Arali) leaves that were mixed with fodder and fed to the cattle by mistake. The four-year-old cow and the four-month-old calf belonged to Pankajavalliamma of Manjubhavan.
The cow was taken to the veterinary hospital for treatment, but the cause of its illness could not be identified. It was only after the cow died that a postmortem report revealed that the cause of death was oleander leaves.
The cow and calf, however, are not the only ones affected by oleander. Surya Surendran, a promising young nurse from Haripad, passed away on April 30th after consuming oleander. Prior to leaving for the UK, Surya paid farewell visits to her neighbours in the Haripad neighbourhood. On returning from these visits, she was talking on the phone and inadvertently swallowed a flower and a piece of an oleander leaf.
According to the postmortem, her death was likely brought about by oleander poisoning, and this adversely affected her heart.
Dr. Shareeja Jayaprakash, head of the forensic department at Alappuzha Medical College, who led Surya’s postmortem, stated that all parts of the oleander plant are poisonous and can directly affect the heart if ingested.
After the death of Surya, the Travancore Devaswam Board was forced to address the issue.The Devaswom Board has clarified that there is no ban on the use of oleander (Arali) flowers as of now. The Health Department has not yet officially confirmed the oleander (Arali) flower as the cause of death. The Travancore Devaswom Board President stated that if it is confirmed to be the cause, a ban on the flower will be seriously considered.
‘We are looking into the matter seriously. I have been reading everything that is being written about the flower.’The president of TDB declared, ‘It will undoubtedly be outlawed if it is established that the use of the flower causes harm to devotees.
The president of the Malabar Devaswom Board, M. R. Murali, expressed a similar viewpoint. It appears that neither the Triprayar temple nor the Guruvayur temple use the Arali flower.
Content highlight: Rise in Oleander Poisoning Cases in Kerala; Cow and Calf Die After Ingestion