Six kids die due to suspected Chandipura virus in a week: Cause & symptoms

Chandipura virus in Gujarat: Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said on Tuesday that the samples of 12 patients have been sent to Pune's National Institute of Virology for confirmation

As many as six children have died due to suspected Chandipura virus (CHPV) in Gujarat since July 10, according to the state government.

The state has logged at least 12 cases of the infections, the samples of which have been sent to Pune’s National Institute of Virology (NIV) for confirmation, Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said on Tuesday.

What is the Chandipura virus?

Chandipura virus is a mosquito-borne disease that causes fever, mostly affecting children between the ages of nine months and 14 years. It can be spread by ticks and sand flies, and occurs during the rainy season, particularly in the rural regions.

 

Symptoms of Chandipura virus?

The symptoms of Chandipura virus include flu and acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain tissues). The virus is a viral pathogen that belongs to the Vesiculovirus genus, which is part of the larger family of Rhabdoviridae viruses.

Since the early 2000s, this virus has been active in different parts of India. According to the US government’s National Library of Medicine, some of the initial cases were reported in Andhra Pradesh in 2004. 

When was Chandipura virus first identified in India

The first time the Chandipura virus was identified in India was in 1965. This led to it being named as ‘Chandipura’ based on the district of the same name in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, where it was first found.

 According to the NIH, the Chandipura virus is currently suspected to be limited to India. In response to reported infections, authorities swiftly implemented preventive measures to contain the outbreak, including targeted insecticide spraying to eliminate sand flies.

So far, insecticide spraying has been carried out in 2,093 households to control sandfly populations. While the data suggests that the Chandipura viral infection occurs in sporadic forms, experts suggest that it has the potential to cause outbreaks.

In the past, the Chandipura virus has also been isolated in Nigeria from hedgehogs and in Sri Lanka from macaques. Its presence has also been recorded in Nepal and Bhutan, according to the NIH.