Special teams reach Jammu to assist in probe into 7 deaths in Rajouri village

Special teams of experts from three premier health institutions have reached here from different parts of the country to help in the ongoing investigations into the recent death of seven persons belonging to two families in a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, a senior doctor said on Saturday.

Seven persons—a man and his four children, and two other siblings of another couple—died in Badhaal village in Kotranka in two separate incidents on December 8 and 12, with the officials suspecting food poisoning as the cause of their mysterious death.

“Our preliminary investigation points to viral infection but more work needs to be done to reach the conclusion (on the cause of the deaths). Team of experts from the National Institute of Virology, Pune; PGI, Chandigarh; and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi, have arrived here to assist in the investigations,” Government Medical College (GMC) Principal Dr Ashutosh Gupta told reporters here.

He said some more time is required to finalise whether the deaths were caused by a virus outbreak or some toxins.

Dr Gupta, however, said things are totally under control and there is no need to panic.

“A combined team of experts has been formed to carry forward the investigation to know the exact cause of deaths. No other case has come to light so far,” he added.

Dr Gupta said the health department teams camping in the village for the last two days have screened the entire population of over 1,800 villagers for any abnormal symptoms like fever, body aches and drowsiness but no patient was found with such symptoms.

“Even if there is an epidemic, it is well under control,” he added, asking people not to panic.

Dr Gupta further said a woman, who lost her husband and children after attending a marriage party, is undergoing treatment in a hospital in Jammu and her condition is stable, while two others are under treatment in the GMC, Rajouri.