Mysterious illness claims 12 lives in J-K's Rajouri; 3 children die in two days

A mysterious illness in Badhaal village, Rajouri district, has claimed the lives of 12 people, including three children within two days. The children, who exhibited symptoms such as fever, vomiting, and loss of consciousness, were initially treated at local hospitals.

Two more children on Monday (Jan 13) died following the hospitalization of six siblings from a family due to a mysterious illness in Badhaal village, Rajouri district, officials told PTI. The children of Mohammad Aslam were brought to the community health center for a check-up on Saturday evening, where 5-year-old Nabeena succumbed to the illness on Sunday.

The village, located in the Kotranka sub-division, has been dealing with an unidentified disease that has already taken the lives of nine individuals from two families since December. The recent deaths have increased the toll to 12, according to officials.

Dr. Ashutosh Gupta, the principal of GMC Hospital, stated that initial investigations suggest a viral infection could be responsible for the mysterious deaths. However, he emphasized that further research is required to determine the exact cause. In the meantime, expert teams from Pune's National Institute of Virology, PGI Chandigarh, AIIMS Delhi, and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi, have visited the village to aid in the ongoing investigation.

According to Daily Excelsior, the children exhibited symptoms such as fever, sweating, vomiting, dehydration, and episodic loss of consciousness. They were subsequently referred to the Government Medical College (GMC) and its Associated Hospital in Rajouri, before being transferred to SMGS Hospital (GMC) in Jammu for further treatment.

Aijaz Ahmed, a close relative of the deceased children, told The New Indian Express, "Six children were admitted to the hospital here. One girl died yesterday, and two more children died today. The exact cause of death is still unknown, and the health department has yet to identify the disease."