Experts await results of 200 samples to ascertain cause of Rajouri deaths
Medical experts investigating the unexplained deaths in Badhaal village of Rajouri, which have claimed 17 lives, are awaiting the results of nearly 200 samples sent to central labs across the country. These results are expected to help determine the cause of the fatalities.
Two months after the first deaths were reported in the village due to unknown reasons, the J&K Administration and medical experts are still unable to pinpoint the cause of the illness.
On Saturday, a J&K health official told The Tribune that the results of the nearly 200 samples sent for testing are awaited. “As soon as the results arrive, it will help the medical experts to reach a conclusion about the cause of the deaths,” the official said. He added that while many reports have already been received, more results are needed before the exact cause of death can be determined.
Preliminary investigations have already revealed traces of toxins, including carbamates, organophosphorus, and cadmium, in samples from the affected families. Carbamates and organophosphorus are types of pesticides known to disrupt the nervous system.
A doctor from a central government-run hospital who recently visited Rajouri to examine the situation told The Tribune that the main relief in the administration is that no new cases have been reported. “What we have understood so far is that the deaths were due to a toxin-mediated disease. Now the source and type of the toxin are being investigated,” the doctor explained.
Earlier this week, the officials announced that 363 individuals from 60 different families had been quarantined, and 592 animals were being cared for by officials from the Animal and Sheep Husbandry Departments to protect them from the illness. According to the Health Department, out of 55 symptomatic individuals, 38 have been discharged after recovery, and 17 deaths have been recorded.
The higher authorities have also directed audits of local health facilities to assess the need for additional ICU beds, oxygen plants, isolation wards, as well as specific drugs and specialists.
