A mysterious illness has claimed the lives of 17 people, including children, in Budhal, a small village in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, India. The deaths have occurred over a span of 45 days, starting in December of the previous year.
Three Families Affected by the Mystery Illness
The incident came to light when a family of seven fell ill after consuming a meal, resulting in the death of five members. On December 12, a family of nine related to the first one also fell ill, leading to three more deaths. Exactly one month later, on January 12, a family of ten became ill after eating another community meal, with six children requiring hospitalization.
The alarming deaths prompted immediate action from security and health agencies, which were deployed by the country's ruling government to investigate the cause. According to Hindustan Times, nine members from two different families died between December 7 and 12. The latest victim, a child, passed away on Sunday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Jammu.
Hindustan Times reported that in response, Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the media, stating that an inter-ministerial team had been ordered to investigate the deaths, all of which occurred within weeks in three families linked to one another in the remote village.
"J&K health department and other departments probed the deaths, but the exact cause has not been found yet. The Home Minister has constituted a team of inter-ministerial experts and they have reached here," said Jammu and Kashmir's Lt. Governor, Manoj Sinha.
What Are the Symptoms?
According to health officials, the deaths are not connected to any communicable disease, though the cause remains unclear. The symptoms include fever, pain, nausea, and loss of consciousness before death.
"All samples have tested negative for any viral or bacteriological etiology," an official stated. Meanwhile, a toxicological analysis conducted by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) revealed toxins in several biological specimens.
Dr. Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, Principal of Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri, reassured the public, emphasizing that the condition is not a communicable disease. "Our findings indicate that neurotoxins are responsible for the deaths. It is important to note that this is not a virus or a contagious disease, so there is no need for panic," Dr. Bhatia told NVI.
"To eliminate the possibility of viral or infectious causes, medical teams had previously taken samples from the deceased. All reports confirm that those who died suffered brain damage due to neurotoxins. Our focus now is to determine the source of these toxins, whether it is environmental, food-related, or linked to another factor," he added.
