SRINAGAR: A 75-year-old woman died and 19 others were hospitalised following a gastroenteritis outbreak in Sakri village, Rajouri district, officials said Saturday. The woman, who had existing health conditions, succumbed after suffering acute diarrhoea.
Health authorities traced the outbreak to contaminated water, confirming the presence of E.coli in samples from the area. Over the past 72 hours, 19 villagers have been admitted to GMC Hospital Rajouri with symptoms like diarrhoea, vomiting, and severe dehydration. Two critical patients were referred to GMC Jammu for advanced treatment.
A mobile medical team treated several residents with mild symptoms on-site. Officials linked the incident to a similar outbreak in Kotli Bagla two weeks ago, where 30 people fell ill. Lab tests confirmed E.coli, typically indicating faecal contamination and poor sanitation.
