Overview

• Officials in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, confirmed nine pediatric deaths following acute kidney failure after recent respiratory illness, with several cases linked by families to cough syrup use.
• National and state teams collected drug, water, and entomological samples for layered testing, with one National Institute of Virology result reported as normal and further CSIR analyses awaited.
• Local reporting cited diethylene glycol in some preliminary tests, a toxin previously tied to international cough syrup poisonings, though confirmatory results for seized batches have not yet been released.
• State health authorities restricted specific cough syrups and batches, conducted door-to-door collection of medicines, and issued advisories to caregivers and clinicians to avoid unverified products.
• Rajasthan recorded three child deaths under separate review, and a state probe submitted to the chief minister cleared medical staff and pointed to home-stored dextromethorphan syrup as a likely factor.