Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir in India are probing a mysterious illness that has caused 17 deaths, including 13 children, in the remote village of Badhaal in Jammu’s Rajouri area since early December, according to local media reports.
The fatalities, all from three related families, exhibited brain and nervous system damage, according to Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, head of Rajouri’s government medical college. The village was declared a containment zone, and 230 residents were quarantined as authorities worked to address the medical crisis. Winter vacations in the area have been canceled to deal with the alert, Bhatia said.
Preliminary investigations suggest the deaths were not caused by infections, viruses, or bacteria but by a toxin, according to Health Minister Jitendra Singh. Authorities are also investigating the possibility of malicious activity.
Meanwhile, in Pune, at least 73 cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare nerve disorder, were recorded. Of the patients, 14 are on ventilator support. GBS occurs when the immune system attacks peripheral nerves, causing muscle weakness and, in severe cases, difficulty swallowing or breathing, the World Health Organization explained.