Rajouri Deaths: Toxicological Analysis Detects Toxins in Multiple Biological Specimens

Jammu, Jan 16: Following a mysterious illness in Budhal village of frontier Rajouri district that has claimed 14 lives so far, the government today said that the situation is being closely monitored.

According to various examinations conducted it has been stated that the incidents are not due to a communicable disease.  The toxicological analysis conducted by CSIR-IITR has detected toxins in multiple biological specimens. 

The investigations on samples indicate that the incidents are not due to a communicable disease of bacterial or viral origin and ruled out any public health angle.

“All the samples have tested negative for any viral or bacteriological etiology. The tests were conducted on different samples at different labs that include National Institute of Virology Pune, National Centre for disease control New Delhi, National Institute of Toxicology and Research Lucknow, Defence Research Development Establishment Gwalior, the Microbiology Department of PGIMER Chandigarh besides the ICMR-Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, GMC Jammu. 

Meanwhile, Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakina Itoo, today visited the village and chaired several meetings with the Health and Medical Education Department and the District Administration to find the cause of the illness and provide necessary healthcare facilities to the affected. 

Chief Secretary J&K, Atal Dulloo, also chaired a series of meetings with health authorities, administration, technical experts from across the country, and police to ensure thorough fact-finding and provide the best healthcare facilities to the affected.

The government has roped in experts from some of the reputed institutions of the country to manage the situation and understand the causative factors of the deaths. 

A team of the state rapid response experts, including epidemiologists, microbiologists, and others from DHS Jammu, GMC Jammu, and Rajouri, visited the area to conduct detailed screening and collect contact tracing samples. 

Experts from NCDC, NIV Pune, and PGI Chandigarh also visited the area to assist in containing the situation. 

It may be recalled that on December 7, 2024, a family of seven got ill after a community meal, resulting in five fatalities. 

On December 12, 2024, a family of nine got ill in which three died.