Rajouri/Jammu (PTI): Over 200 individuals, who came in contact with the affected families of the 17 people who died due to the mysterious illness in Rajouri, have been quarantined as a precautionary measure, an official said on Thursday.

Four people, including three sisters, have been shifted to hospitals, with three airlifted to a hospital in Jammu.

Top health officials have identified a common factor among all those who lost their lives in Badhaal village as involvement of the brain and damage to the nervous system.

National Conference (NC) leader and local MLA Javaid Iqbal Choudhary on Thursday demanded the imposition of a medical emergency to save people and contain the spread of such a mysterious illness.

Over 200 individuals who came into contact with the affected families have been relocated to a quarantine centre set up in the building of a nursing college and GMC hospital in Rajouri, they said.

A new quarantine centre was set up in nursing college on Wednesday. As a precautionary measure, these relocated individuals include close relatives of the deceased. Several individuals who had contact with the affected families, from those who took children to the hospital to those who participated in burials, have also been identified.

These individuals have been moved away from the village as a precaution to break the chain, officials said.

Strict security measures have been implemented at the quarantine centre located in the nursing college building in Rajouri, designated specifically for quarantine purposes. The facility has been secured with fencing and rigorous monitoring, they said.

Before admission to the centre, all individuals are being screened. Arrangements have been made to accommodate those affected at the nursing college at Gujjar Mandi.

"Keeping in view seriousness, the government should declare Medical emergency to save the population", the MLA told reporters here.

Badhaal village in Rajouri district has been declared a containment zone as of Wednesday, with prohibitory orders in place for all public and private gatherings following the recent deaths, officials said.

Magistrate orders have sealed the homes of families where the deaths occurred as part of the primary containment zone. Entry into these homes, even by family members, is strictly prohibited without permission from officials on duty.

The secondary containment zone includes families that had close contact with the affected individuals, who are under constant health monitoring, they said.

The third zone encompasses all families in Baddal village, where arrangements for food and water are being made and communal dining has been prohibited.

A total of 17 people, including 13 children from the families of Mohammad Fazal, Mohammad Aslam, and Mohammad Rafiq in Baddal village, have died due to a mysterious illness over the past month and a half.

According to officials, the condition of Ejaaz, who was airlifted to PGI Chandigarh on Tuesday night, is reported to be stable. Ejaaz is currently admitted to the emergency ICU at PGI Chandigarh, where initial investigations are underway. A definitive assessment of the illness awaits the receipt of test reports.

Three new patients airlifted to a hospital by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Jammu are currently under observation, officials added.

A central team continues its investigation into the cause of the deaths in three families, with over 230 samples sent for testing to various institutes.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), established by the police after neurotoxins were found in samples from the deceased, continues its probe into potential criminal aspects.

Officials indicated that more than 50 persons have been questioned in connection with the case.

Dr A S Bhatia, Principal of Government Medical College Hospital Rajouri, revealed that the common factor among all 17 deaths is the involvement of the brain and damage to the nervous system.

MLA Javaid Iqbal Choudhary hit out at the Principal of Government Medical College Hospital Jammu, accusing the hospital management of mismanagement in handling patients.

"There is total mismanagement at the GMC hospital in Jammu. They failed to save the children. While one ill person shifted to PGI Chandigarh was stable but others shifted to GMC in Jammu are serious. We demand that all should be shifted to Chandigarh", he told reporters in Rajouri.

The MLA asserted that the hospital's handling of the situation has been inadequate, citing the lack of air ambulance services for patients despite repeated efforts.

Commending the efforts of the district administration, police, and health department of Rajouri, the MLA emphasized that higher authorities must address the situation more effectively.

He called for the immediate deployment of an air ambulance in Rajouri and the enhancement of the healthcare infrastructure in the region.