A deadly wave of infections due to Chandipura virus (CHPV) has killed as many as 22 children in Gujarat this monsoon season, with 35 cases testing positive out of 184 suspected infections. All the patients are under 15 years of age.
According to the health minister Praful Panseriya, seven patients remain under treatment across civil hospitals in Gandhinagar, Rajkot, and other districts, and government and private paediatric facilities have been instructed to immediately admit symptomatic patients to ICU beds to prevent organ failure.
"A total of 184 suspected cases have been registered in the state so far, out of which 35 cases have tested positive and the results of 11 samples are still pending," Panseriya said.
What is Chandipura virus?
According to WHO, CHPV is a member of the Rhabdoviridae family and is known to cause sporadic cases and outbreaks of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in western, central and southern parts of India, especially during the monsoon season. It is transmitted by vectors such as sandflies, mosquitoes and ticks. The case-fatality ratio from CHPV infection is between 56-75 per cent which is generally high, and there is no specific treatment or vaccine available.
The virus was first isolated from a patient from Chandipura village in Nagpur district of Maharashtra in 1965.
How are the officials dealing with the situation?
As per the minister, health teams are spraying pesticides in areas where animal husbandry is practised to target sandflies, which are responsible for spreading the encephalitis virus.
Government and private paediatric facilities have also been instructed to admit patients with symptoms to the ICU and not delay treatment so that serious conditions like multiple organ failure can be prevented.
