Seven deaths, four of them due to hepatitis B, reported in the past two weeks in a Haryana village, have prompted authorities to deploy a health department team to test the residents.

More than 400 people have been screened for symptoms in Chhainsa village in Hathin sub-division in Palwal district, officials said Sunday (February 16, 2026).

Some villagers, however, claimed that the number of deaths was higher and included a few youngsters.

Officials said four of the deceased were found hepatitis B positive but the exact cause of death in the other three cases is under investigation, with food poisoning and contaminated drinking water not ruled out.

Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection caused by the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV).

The state health department team is collecting blood samples and other samples for testing, they said.

A few patients under observation who required hospitalisation have been admitted to the civil hospital. Patients who died had symptoms like fever, vomiting, weakness and stomach ache.

Published – February 16, 2026 06:31 am IST