After a quick search for an explanation of why his fingerprints went missing, I  found the answer.  It appears that this individual travelling from Singapore had been taking a cancer drug Capecitabine (Xeloda) for years and this had caused a hand foot syndrome that resulted in the erasure of his fingerprints. A typical outcome of handfoot syndrome is flaking, peeling and cracking of the skin in the hands and foot.

My search also led me to another finding about fingerprints that was immensely interesting. It seems children’s fingerprints are not as detectable as that of adults! The finding was that children’s fingerprints have more volatile chemicals, such as free fatty acids, while adult fingerprints display longer lasting compounds.

Further investigation also revealed that there were several instances when workers who did not wear protective gloves on their hands during physical labor often lost their fingerprints.

However, I could not find a single instance wher diabetes was the cause of vanishing fingerprints. Perhaps our medical friends can share the knowledge with us if that is true.

The question that remains now–What will the Government Department do now? Do they device another kind of biometric system for these workers?  If these workers are diabetic, they are likely to have problems with their eyes too! IRIS scan may also be ruled out?

Are you turning away with a shrug “That is fishy. Perhaps they have an explanation?”  You bet they do.

The Department insisted that the news was erroneous and the employees had reported for work. The attendence was being maintained manually because they could not use the biometric system.

The reason for non use?  They do not have fingerprints.

What?

Oh me!  Where have their fingerprints gone???

Senior members of the management say,  “Several of these employees have diabetes melitus and the disease has destroyed their fingerprints. Hence they were unable to report for duty using the biometric system.”

Really, this is perfectly logical. If they don’t have fingerprints how can they report for duty on the biometric system?

While you laugh uncertainly with the crowd about the explanation, you are perhaps entertaining a sneaky little thought about the scientific plausibility of the explanation? Does diabetes really erase fingerprints?

You can say, this is news to the medical world. Doctors are baffled and scientists are stunned. This observation should be made the basis for a honest scientific enquiry.   Or shall we entrust the research to a student and get him a PhD on the topic? He would have a readymade clinical evidence on which to base his reasearch!  After all, someone needs to gain something out of this new understanding.

One doctor has hastily and vociferously denounced the observation. He is reported to have exploded loudly with a single word–”Nonsense!”  The larger medical world is yet to validate or deny the findings of the organization. After all we did not believe Copernicus when he said that the earth was not the center of the universe and even imprisioned him as a heretic.

The question remains: What happens next?

Let us wait and watch. Do remain tuned in on the developments.