Jammu, Jan 27 (IANS) In a path-breaking development, doctors at the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in J&K’s Rajouri district have finally succeeded in finding the antidote for the poison that killed locals in Budhaal village of Rajouri district.

Around 17 people including 14 children were killed by a mysterious disease in Budhaal village of Rajouri district between December 8 to January 17.

Analyses of samples from the victims suggested that the deaths had not been caused by viral or bacterial infection although some neurotoxins were found in those samples.

These sample analyses could not lead the doctors treating the patients to find the treatment that could prevent fatalities among the patients.

Talking to , Dr A.S. Bhatia, Principal GMC Rajouri said, “We were helplessly watching the patients report at the hospital and dying before our eyes. This left all of us in pain and helplessness. However, the breakthrough came when we sat and analysed the treatment files of all the patients who had reported at the hospital.”

Dr Bhatia added that they received patients on December 14 among whom two patients, Danish and Abdul Qayoom survived while others had passed away.

“When we analysed the treatment files, all the treatments given to patients were the same except that Abdul Qayoom and Danish had been given atropine for some other reason. These two patients survived and we could zero in on atropine as the antidote for the disease. The surviving two patients had been administered atropine for some other reason,” he said.

“Atropine is also the antidote for organophosphorus poisoning, but the characteristic symptom of organophosphorus poisoning is that the patient would exhibit constricted eye pupils in case of poisoning by an organophosphorus group of poisons,” the doctor said.

Dr Bhatia added that as bad luck would have it, no patient from Budhaal village reported constricted eye pupils.

“Thus all of us missed the poisoning group for which atropine had to be used,” he said.

He added that by analysing treatment files and through the process of elimination, they came to know that it was the organophosphorus group of poisons that had caused all these deaths.

“On January 20, we received around 22 people reporting symptoms of the so-called mysterious disease. We administered atropine to all of them and also to those sent to Chandigarh and Jammu,” he said.

He added that none of the patients, who had been administered atropine died and now they know that the mystery behind the so-called mysterious disease has been solved.

“Our only regret is that we missed the group of organophosphorus poisoning that caused the 17 deaths because none of the victims had any symptom that would indicate this group of poisons,” he said.

J&K government had deputed teams of doctors to Budhaal village while the Union Home Minister Amit Shah had constituted an inter-ministerial team to probe the Budhaal mysterious deaths.

Courtesy Media Group: IANS

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