Four more people have fallen ill with the mystery disease that has killed 17 people at Budhal in Rajouri since December, stoking fresh alarm on a day authorities
declared Covid-like containment zones in the village of 500 families.

The latest patients — three sisters and a young man from a particular family — have been admitted to hospital after showing some of the unexplained ailment’s familiar symptoms: vomiting, fever, dehydration and loss of consciousness.

All the dead — most of them children or youths — belong to three families. Government experts have ruled out a communicable disease and hinted at neurotoxins that affect people’s nervous system, including the brain.

Although the government says the disease is not an infection, it has established containment zones in Budhal, restricting movement to and from the village.

All the families that have lost members fall in Containment Zone 1. Their houses are being sealed and entry is being restricted for everyone unless authorised by designated officials.

Families identified as close contacts of the affected individuals fall in Zone 2. They are being shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC), Rajouri, for continuous monitoring of their health.

In Zone 3, all public and private gatherings have been banned — as in the two other zones.

Farooq Ahmad, former sarpanch of Budhal, said one of the new patients is
“a 20-year-old youth who was admitted last (Tuesday) night”.

“He was airlifted to PGI Chandigarh. Three sisters reported complications today, after which they were admitted to hospital,” he added.

Local people identified the three ailing women as Tazeem Akhtar, 23, Khalida, 18, and Nazia Kousar, 16, daughters of Bagh Hussain.

Altogether, about 30 people — all from four or five families that are related in some way to one another — have been affected by the mystery disease and five have recovered, medical authorities have said.

Farooq said all those affected had attended a wedding last month.

“They had joined a Khatam (a religious congregation) after that, but what is worrying is that they did not fall ill all at once. These cases are emerging after gaps. The first cases surfaced more than six weeks ago,” he said.

Union home minister Amit Shah had on Sunday ordered the formation of an inter-ministerial team to find the cause of the disease and the deaths. Medical experts are camping in the area.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah visited the village on Tuesday and said the government’s priority was to prevent any more deaths.

Dr Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, the GMC principal, said the common factor in the deaths was that the nervous system, including the brain, was affected. He said several patients had recovered, but recovery was difficult for those whose brain was affected.

“Forensic officials from Chandigarh and Lucknow and teams from the MHA (ministry of home affairs) are camping here,” he said.