Srinagar: As the number of fatalities from the mysterious disease has risen to 14 at Badhal village in the Kotranka subdivision of Rajouri district, the Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakina Masood on Tuesday said the efforts are on to ascertain the cause of these ‘enigmatic deaths’.
The “death rate” from the unknown sickness, according to the minister, was under control until December last year. However, the number of fatalities rose after a few children died recently.
“The true etiology of this sickness is unknown, but the death rate was very much under control till December of last year. About six to seven children at an event on January 9 contracted the infection again. They were immediately referred to GMC Rajouri, and others to Jammu, but regrettably, some of them died,” the minister told reporters after taking a review of facilities at SKIMS Soura here.
In order to keep an eye on the situation in the affected village, a full-fledged team of experts and administrators including physicians, and paramedics has been deputed in the village, and Secretary Health has been directed to visit the affected hamlet personally, she added.
“The actual cause of the illness has not been revealed by the tests performed or the samples collected from the affected people. However, the administration is working tirelessly to determine the precise cause of the deaths, and perhaps this enigmatic illness will be identified soon,” Masood added.
When contacted, Principal Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu, Dr Ashutosh Gupta told ‘Kashmir Images’ that although preliminary findings suggest a viral infection as a potential reason, further investigation is required to confirm this.
“Common symptoms among the deceased include vomiting, dehydration, high fever, profuse perspiration, and intermittent unconsciousness. However, the exact cause of fatalities is still unknown,” he added.
The tragic sequence of events began on December 8 when Mohammad Fazal and his four children lost their lives, followed by the deaths of three children from the family of one Mohammad Rafiq. Rafiq’s pregnant wife also died on December 23, a case linked to alleged medical negligence.
Two siblings succumbed to the illness on January 12, with another sibling passing away on January 13. On Monday evening, 62-year-old Mohammad Yusuf, a relative of the affected family, died at GMC Rajouri, and on Tuesday, a six-year-old girl succumbed.
