Chandipura Virus Killed 22 Children in Gujarat This Monsoon Alone: State Health Minister

New Delhi: The Chandipura virus (CHPV) infection has led to the death of 22 children in Gujarat this monsoon season alone, with seven others currently undergoing treatment, the state health minister Praful Panseriya said on Monday (August 3). So far, 184 suspected cases of the virus have been reported, of which 35 tested positive. Results in 11 cases are still awaited. All victims of the virus are reportedly below the age of 15.

Panseriya said that the affected children after been admitted to hospitals in Gandhinagar, Himmatnagar, Patan, Rajkot and Bhavnagar, with their conditions closely being monitored by doctors. The cases are not concentrated within a particular geographical area such as a village or a district and are being reported from across the state, he said.

Talking about the preventive measures being taken by the state to control the spread of the deadly virus, Panseriya said health teams are spraying pesticides near animal husbandry sites to curb sandflies, through which the virus is transmitted.

All government and private paediatric hospitals have been ordered to immediately admit children exhibiting symptoms of the virus to intensive care units, well-equipped with oxygen and ventilator support to avoid situations like multiple organ failure.

Chandipura encephalitis was first identified in 1965 in Chandipura village in Maharashtra’s Nagpur district and is known to cause inflammation of the brain. The virus is transmitted by sandflies and other insects and common symptoms include high fever, severe headache, vomiting and diarrhoea, seizures, confusion, loss of consciousness and a rapid decline into coma, often within 48 hours.