Chandipura virus: Four children dead in suspected infection in Gujarat

Chandipura Virus: Four children died in Gujarat due to the virus. District officials deployed teams to take preventive actions like dusting to kill sandflies and fumigation to kill the insects

According to the civil hospital at Himmatnagar, Gujarat, four children passed away due to the Chandipura virus, two of them hailed from Aravalli district, one from Sabarkantha district and another child was from Rajasthan. 

Two kids are currently undergoing treatment in the same hospital, who are said to be also from Rajasthan. 

The blood samples of the deceased and two kids who are currently undergoing treatment have reportedly been sent to the National Institute of Virology and their results are awaited. 

District officials have also informed the local authorities in Rajasthan about the demise of the child due to respective viral infection.

 

The teams are being deployed to take some preventive measures like dusting to kill sandflies and fumigation to kill the insects and mosquitoes in affected areas to prevent the further spread of the virus. 

What is the Chandipura virus?

Chandipura virus comes from the Rhabdoviridae family, genus Vesiculovirus. It was first identified in 1965 during an outbreak in Chandipura village in Maharashtra, India. Since then, sporadic outbreaks have been reported in different parts of India and some parts of Asia and Africa. 

This virus primarily affects children, causing symptoms like fever, convulsions, and altered sensorium, and in several cases, it can lead to coma and death.

The mortality rate can be high, especially in younger age groups. It is also associated with encephalitis outbreaks, which is an inflammation of the brain. The virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected sandflies, especially those of the species Phlebotomus papatasi and Sergentomyia species, which act as vectors. 

How to stay safe from the outbreak of the Chandipura virus?

To control the outbreak of the Chandipura virus, efforts are made which are especially focused on vector control to use insecticide and reduce the sandfly populations, and public health education is initiated to raise awareness. 

It aims at promoting measures like using bed nets and wearing protective clothing. There is no specific antiviral treatment available for Chandipura virus infection, so supportive care remains the mainstay of management including treating symptoms and preventing complications.