J&K: Mysterious illness claims 17 lives, including 11 children, in Rajouri

17 people, including 11 children in Budhal village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri have succumbed to a mysterious illness since December 8, with the last death occurring on January 17.

The district magistrate of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri earlier this week declared the village of Budhal as a containment zone following the deaths since December last year. Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) has been enacted in the area prohibiting all public and private gatherings due to health concerns. 

Houses of affected families have been sealed. The entire area has been divided into three zones for efficient management and designated officials have been tasked with monitoring the preparation and distribution of meals provided to families within the containment zones.

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Four more admitted

On Wednesday, January 22, four more people from the village, three of whom are sisters, were admitted to the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Rajouri. Their condition appears to be deteriorating as authorities struggle to find the exact cause behind the illness. For now, the three sisters are being shifted to Jammu for treatment. 

200 people who were in contact with the three affected families have been put into quarantine at the Nursing College in Rajouri and are being monitored constantly. 

Food or air poisoning suspected

Earlier, samples taken from the patient’s bodies ruled out the presence of any virus or bacteria but deadly toxins were detected in the samples, though how the toxin found a way into their bodies is yet to be determined.

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Union minister Jitendra Singh, speaking to Dainik Jagran said that a toxic metal called cadmium was found in the patient’s samples. Cadmium poisoning can occur due to polluted air or consumption of contaminated food and water. It is being speculated that the illness is due to food poisoning but nothing can be confirmed as of yet, reported ToI.

Last week health experts reported that the deaths were caused by neurotoxins and that all the patients suffered from brain swelling or edema. 

An inter-ministerial team formed by the Union Home ministry is probing the village trying to determine the exact cause of the illness. 3500 locals from Budhal and neighbouring villages were scanned by the Health department and no traces of any virus or bacterial infection were found among them. 

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