Anantnag: Two kids, aged seven and five, succumbed to the viral Hepatitis-A infection even as four other kids have tested positive for the virus, here in a south Kashmir village administered by both Anantnag and Kulgam districts.
Hepatitis-A belongs to a group of viruses that attack the liver. It is commonly passed through contaminated water and/or food. It can also be transferred through needle sharing and unprotected sex.
The deceased kids have been identified as five-year-old Mahirah Gulzar and seven-year-old Nihan Altaf, both residents of Turk-e-Tachloo village. Mahira died a couple of days ago while Nihan died today (Sunday).
“The two of them had been admitted to a pediatric hospital in Srinagar and have succumbed to the infection,” Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kulgam, Dr Rafiq Dhobi, told Kashmir Reader.
Turk-e-Tachloo village falls within the revenue jurisdiction of Anantnag district, but the health and water supply is administered by the Kulgam district.
“We are constantly monitoring the situation, and teams have been stationed in the village for testing and other necessary action,” Dhobi told Kashmir Reader, while acknowledging that the viral infection has been found to be Hepatitis-A. “We are trying to find the cause of the infection,” he said.
Director of Health Services Kashmir, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad, also visited the village today. He was accompanied by a team of doctors, the CMO, and other officials from the district administration.
Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, Basharat Qayoom, said that the situation was being monitored round the clock, and several teams have been sent to the village so far.
“Six children were found positive thus far, and two of them have succumbed. The other four are under observation in a hospital and are stable,” Qayoom said, adding, “These six cases emerged from testing those who were showing symptoms.”
Qayoom said that 129 random tests have been conducted in the village and all have been found to be negative. “The affected children go to the same school, a local school by the name of Hanfia School. The teams are looking at this angle as well and ascertaining whether something had gone wrong at the school,” Qayoom said.
The DC said that teams from Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag have also been sent to the village to ascertain the extent of the infection. “Prima facie, it looks like the source of the infection has been an isolated one,” he said.
The locals, however, are sure that the contaminated water supply in their village is to be blamed for the outbreak.
“Fifteen years ago a water filtration plant was set up in the village on the banks of Vaishaw Nallah. It has never been cleaned since. All of us are forced to consume that contaminated water,” Arif Hussain, a local resident, said.
Besides, they said, the village being administered by two different district administrations was definitely not working in their favour. “All that the authorities do is pass on the buck to the other district for any kind of misgovernance,” the locals said.
Qayoom, meanwhile, said that the water supply was also being monitored and samples have been taken for testing. “Some results have been received and they do not show any anomaly thus far. We are waiting for other results to be absolutely sure of the causes,” he said.

Suhail A Shah