Fatal mystery disease: One more child falls ill in Udhampur district

10 children have died in the past 15 days in Ramnagar tehsil; a central medical team is camping in town

JAMMU: After 10 children have died due to an unknown disease in past fortnight, one more child has fallen ill on Tuesday with the mysterious illness that has caused panic in Udhampur district. The child has been shifted to Jammu, even as team of medical experts are camping in Rannagar tehsil, where this illness has struck.

The last case of the illness was reported on January 13. The boy in question from a village nearby was vomiting and running with fever when he was brought to sub-district hospital in Ramnagar on Tuesday.

After examining him, doctors referred him to Sri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) hospital in Jammu for specialised treatment. The critically ill boy was given dialysis soon after he reached the Jammu hospital.

Meanwhile, the team of experts along with two doctors from NIV Pune who reached late in Ramnagar on Monday, again visited the Martha village on

Tuesday from where the majority of the cases were reported. The team is expected submit a report to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)- Health and Family Welfare minister, who then will share the findings with Jammu doctors.

Director Health Services Jammu, Dr Renu Sharma said they were trying to ascertain the cause of the disease.

Chief medical officer of Udhampur district, Dr KC Dogra said, “10 children between the age of two months to six years have died in the past 15 days and seven others have been taken ill.”

He said the children contracting the disease develop symptoms of fever, cold and they also vomit eventually leading to their renal failure.

“There are around 10 to 15 villages in a radius of 30 kms in Ramnagar tehsil where the children are getting ill due to this disease,” he added.

Meanwhile, National Conference has expressed concern and called for expeditious diagnostic investigation of the disease and also taking corrective measures to effectively check its outbreak to other areas.

“The health and medical education department should seek the diagnostic investigation conducted by experts in the medical profession in a time bound manner, provide specialised treatment to suffering children, if any, and to generate awareness among the locals as also potentially threatened areas to check outbreak of the malady”, provincial president Devender Singh Rana said in a joint statement today.

He also demanded thorough survey of areas inflicted by the disease and issuance of do’s and don’ts advisories to avoid further such tragedies.

› Health department should seek an investigation and generate awareness to check outbreak of the malady. DEVENDER SINGH RANA, provincial president