J&K: Mysterious illness claims lives of 16 in Rajouri; authorities on high alert

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A mysterious disease has caused widespread panic in Jammu and Kashmir's Badhal village, with 16 reported fatalities and 38 affected individuals since early December 2024, ANI reported.

The cause of the illness is still unidentified, despite extensive efforts by medical experts and organisations such as PGIMER Chandigarh, the National Institute of Virology, and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

On Saturday, one woman from Badhaal Village was admitted to the Government Medical College (GMC) after showing symptoms of the mysterious illness.

Authorities are on high alert, with the Rajouri district administration, police, and health department coordinating to look into the fatalities and help the impacted families. The outbreak has primarily impacted three interlinked families in the village, ANI cited.

Due to the lack of concrete information regarding the cause of the disease, efforts to enforce targeted measures into place have been hindered, forcing local authorities to step up their investigations and preventive measures in a race against time to avoid further deaths.

Additionally, the medical staff on site is examining the chaotic state of "mysterious illness."

As per ANI, an official said, "We're closely monitoring the situation. Reports of illnesses and deaths due to a mysterious disease will be available within 8-10 days. Medical assistance has been provided in 4 wards, and door-to-door counselling and surveillance are ongoing. ICMR has collected samples, and we're taking daily samples. Doctors are available 24/7, and village surveillance has been ongoing since December 7."

Another member of the team said, "From a pediatric perspective, all necessary tests have been conducted. The symptoms and progression of the illness have been observed. The ill children's condition deteriorates rapidly within 2-3 days, leading to coma and eventually death despite ventilation. Notably, these incidents are confined to three specific families, suggesting a non-infectious cause. Therefore, there's no need for the general public to worry."

The situation continues to increase, with all relevant departments committed to identifying the origin of the disease and ensuring the safety of the localites, ANI reported.

(With inputs from ANI)