Since July 10, the suspected Chandipura virus has killed six children in Gujarat; as a result, there are now twelve cases of the infection, according to state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel. “Samples of the 12 patients have been sent to Pune’s National Institute of Virology (NIV) for confirmation,” he stated on Monday.
VIDEO | Eight cases and five deaths have been reported due to the Chandipura virus reported in Himmatnagar Hospital of Gujarat. Here’s what Dr. Paresh Sheeladaria, Civil Superintendent, Himmatnagar said giving updates on it:
(Full video available on PTI Videos-… pic.twitter.com/Oum8sQSLFY
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 15, 2024
Symptoms and Transmission of Chandipura
The Chandipura virus causes fever, which resembles flu-like symptoms, as well as acute encephalitis, which is an inflammation of the brain. Sand flies, ticks, and mosquitoes are among the vectors that spread it. The pathogen belongs to the Rhabdoviridae family’s Vesiculovirus genus.
Of the 12 patients, four came from the Sabarkantha district, three from Aravalli, one each from Mahisagar and Kheda in Gujarat, two from Rajasthan, and one from Madhya Pradesh, according to Patel. In Gujarat, they were treated. “Six deaths due to suspected Chandipura virus have been reported in the state, but only after results of the samples it will be clear whether they were caused by the Chandipura virus,” he stated in a statement.
Government Response
In the Sabarkantha district’s Himatnagar civil hospital, five out of six deaths have been reported. The National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune has received all 12 samples, including eight from patients at the civil hospital in Sabarkantha, for verification, according to Patel.
Four infants died on July 10 from what the pediatricians at the Himatnagar Civil Hospital assumed to be the Chandipura virus; they sent samples of the youngsters to NIV for verification. Subsequently, the symptoms of four more hospitalized youngsters were similar.
“There is no spread of the Chandipura virus. Nonetheless, close observation has been maintained in the impacted regions. In 4,487 homes, we have screened 18,646 people. The health department is preventing the sickness from spreading around the clock,” stated Patel.
READ: The Rubella Virus