6 Children Dead In Gujarat Since July 10 Due To Suspected Chandipura Virus Infection

The Chandipura virus is transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes, sandflies and ticks. It causes fever, symptoms like flu and acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

Chandipura virus is not contagious.

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Six children have died due to a suspected Chandipura virus infection in Gujarat since July 10, taking the total number of cases to 12, state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said. 

Samples collected from the 12 patients have been sent to Pune's National Institute of Virology (NIV) for confirmation, Patel said, as reported by PTI. 

The Chandipura virus is transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes, sandflies and ticks. It causes fever, symptoms like flu and acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). The pathogen is a member of the Vesiculovirus genus of the family Rhabdoviridae. 

The virus was first identified in 1965, after an outbreak in Chandipura village, Maharashtra.

Patel said four of the 12 patients were from Sabarkantha district, three from Aravalli, and one each from Mahisagar and Kheda in Gujarat. Two patients were from Rajasthan and one from Madhya Pradesh, and received treatment in Gujarat.

In his statement, Patel said six deaths had been reported in the state due to suspected Chandipura infection. He added, “But only after the results of the samples' [analysis] will it be clear whether they were caused by the Chandipura virus." 

Paediatricians at Himatnagar civil hospital suspected the Chandipura virus as the cause of the deaths of four children on July 10 and sent their samples to the NIV. Later, four more children at the hospital showed up with similar symptoms. 

Of the six deaths, Patel said, five have been reported from the civil hospital in Himatnagar in Sabarkantha district.

“Chandipura virus is not contagious,” said Patel. He added that intensive surveillance has been undertaken in the affected areas. Around 18,646 people in 4,487 houses have been screened. The minister further added that the Gujarat health department is working round the clock to prevent the disease from spreading.