The illness has so far claimed 17 lives and affected 38 people in Jammu and Kashmir since early December 2024.
Addressing the ongoing probe into the mysterious illness that has claimed at least 17 lives so far, Union Minister Jitendra Singh revealed some new findings about the conditions.
Jitendra Singh confirmed that the initial tests ruled out any infection caused due to viruses or any bacteria as potential causes of the illness. Instead, the findings suggested the presence of a toxin, which is now undergoing further analysis, news agency ANI reported.
“I think the discussion has started but the first test was conducted by a toxicology laboratory in Lucknow, CSIR. The discussion was that there was no infection, no virus, no bacteria, it was just a toxin. Now the toxin is being tested. So there is a long series of toxins that are being tested…and if there is any mischief or any other mischief, then we will know about it,” he said.
The minister was speaking during the inauguration of the newly constructed bridge at Basantpur, Singh updated the public on the results of initial tests conducted by a toxicology laboratory in Lucknow under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Mysterious illness killed 17 people in J&K’s Rajouri
The unidentified illness often termed a ‘mysterious illness’ by authorities and locals, has so far claimed 17 lives and affected 38 people since early December 2024.
The deaths have prompted concern in the administration but health department teams have stated there is no immediate need to declare a public health emergency.
On Tuesday, JK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited Rajouri’s Badhal and assured citizens affected by the disease.
CM Abdullah told reporters, “The day when we got the information, the health department along with other departments have been working to understand the causes behind such incidents… Tests were done, and we concluded that there were no bacteria or viruses that caused those deaths.”
“Later, we found that all those deaths happened in three families,” he added. He said that the authorities are yet to ascertain the cause behind these deaths.
Amit Shah forms SIT to investigate Rajouri deaths
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday ordered the constitution of an inter-ministerial team led by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to investigate the causes of unexplained deaths in three incidents reported over the past six weeks.
Key Points:
- Toxin Identified: Preliminary investigations by the CSIR lab in Lucknow have detected the presence of unidentified toxins, ruling out viral or bacterial infections.
- Containment Measures: The affected area has been divided into three containment zones, with strict restrictions on movement and gatherings.
- Ongoing Investigation: An 11-member inter-ministerial team has been formed to investigate the cause of the deaths and determine the nature of the toxin.
- Symptoms: Victims experienced symptoms such as fever, pain, nausea, excessive sweating, and loss of consciousness, often leading to death within days of hospitalization
