Jammu Health Investigation

A central team of experts has been deployed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to visit J&K to investigate paediatric deaths due to unknown etiology, being reported from Block Ramnagar of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir.

At least 10 children have died of a mysterious disease and six others have been taken seriously ill in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, according to a senior officer.

"Our survey of the affected area revealed 10 children died due to the mysterious disease in the 40-kilometre radius in Ramnagar block. The symptoms of the disease are routine that include fever and vomiting followed by renal problem," Chief Medical Officer, Udhampur, KC Dogra said.

"Various teams of doctors from Jammu, Udhampur and block level are camping in the affected area and we are trying to ascertain the cause of the disease," Mr Dogra said.

The central team is assisting the J&K Health Department to investigate the cause of paediatric deaths and instituting requisite public health measures. The team, upon completion of their activities, would submit a report to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) - Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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The visiting team comprises:

• Specialist (Pediatrics) Safdarjung Hospital: Sumit Mehndiratta
• Deputy Director (Microbiology), National Center for Disease Control, Delhi: Mahesh Waghmare
• Assistant Director (Epidemiology) National Center for Disease Control, Delhi: Suneet Kaur
• Microbiologist, NIV, Pune: Shilpa Tomar
• Epidemiologist- NIV- Pune: Avinash Deoshatwar

District Development Commissioner, Udhampur, Piyush Singla had already directed the public health engineering department to collect samples of drinking water for laboratory testing and to ensure safe drinking water is provided to the public.

District health authorities have appealed to the public to not panic and consult doctors in nearby health institutions if there is any case having symptoms of fever, vomiting, and low urine passage.