SRINAGAR, Jan 25 (Alliance News): Authorities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) are investigating a mysterious disease that has claimed 17 lives, including 13 children, in the remote village of Badhaal in Rajouri since December.
The village has been declared a containment zone, with approximately 230 residents quarantined, according to reports from the Press Trust of India (PTI).
Dr. Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, head of Rajouri’s government medical college, stated that all victims exhibited brain and nervous system damage. Authorities have canceled winter vacations as a medical alert remains in place.
Indian Health Minister Jitendra Singh revealed that initial investigations indicate the deaths were caused by a toxin rather than infection, virus, or bacteria. “Toxin testing is ongoing, and possible mischief or malicious activity is also under investigation,” Singh said.
The fatalities occurred within three related families, and the federal government has launched a full-scale probe to identify the cause.
In another medical development, at least 73 cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) have been reported in Pune, with 14 patients requiring ventilator support.
GBS, a rare nerve disorder, causes the immune system to attack peripheral nerves, leading to muscle weakness and difficulty swallowing or breathing, according to the WHO.