Mysterious illness sends 35 to hospital in J&K’s Rajouri

This follows 17 mysterious deaths from three families six months back

Srinagar: A sudden outbreak of a mysterious illness has sent shockwaves through the border district of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, where 35 villagers were hospitalised this week in Panchayat Bagla area, prompting the health authorities to swing into action.

“35 persons were admitted to the hospital after falling ill in the past few days. All are stable. Four of them have been referred to the Government Medical College (GMC) in Rajouri,” a doctor heading the medical team told reporters in the village.

The latest outbreak, reported from Ward Kotli Bagla in Block Qila Darhal, has alarmed officials as it follows mysterious deaths of 17 persons, including 13 children, belonging to three related families in Badhaal village of the same district between December 7, 2024 and January 19, 2025.

Despite extensive testing and investigations, including consultations with medical experts from AIIMS, New Delhi and PGIMER Chandigarh, authorities are yet to pinpoint the exact cause of the earlier deaths.

The authorities had declared the entire village a containment zone and shifted the residents to a quarantine centre, where they were released after over a month-long stay.

In response to the latest outbreak of mysterious illness, health authorities have sealed local water sources in Kotli Bagla and collected samples for testing, amid fears that contaminated water may be contributing to the recurring health crisis.

"A team from GMC Rajouri collected water samples from three local wells. The district administration has sealed the wells pending test results," the doctor said.

Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma, convened an emergency review meeting on Monday to assess the situation. Senior officials from the Health Department, Government Medical College, Jal Shakti, Police, and Panchayati Raj departments attended the meeting.

The repeated nature of the illnesses, especially after the unexplained cluster of winter deaths, has sparked public anxiety. “We cannot ignore the link between the December-January fatalities and this new episode,” said a health official on condition of anonymity. “There is an urgent need for toxicological and microbial testing.”

Local residents have urged the administration to expedite testing and provide access to clean drinking water. Many families have now stopped using water from village sources, reports said.