22 children dead in Gujarat's Chandipura virus outbreak; 35 infections confirmed
Health teams are spraying pesticides in animal husbandry areas to control sandflies, which spread the virus, state health minister Praful Panseriya said.
In Gujarat, a Chandipura virus outbreak has claimed the lives of 22 children this monsoon season, with 35 cases confirmed out of 184 suspected infections, according to state health minister Praful Panseriya. Seven patients are currently being treated in civil hospitals across Gandhinagar, Rajkot, and other districts, while government and private pediatric facilities have been directed to admit symptomatic patients to intensive care units to prevent organ failure.
A total of 184 suspected cases have been reported in the state, with 11 samples still awaiting results.
All reported cases involve children under 15 years old. The minister further revealed that the patients are currently undergoing treatment in civil hospitals located in Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha-Himmatnagar, Patan, Rajkot, and Bhavnagar, where they are receiving the best possible super-specialist care. Health teams have initiated pesticide spraying in areas with high livestock populations to target sandflies, the primary carriers of the encephalitis virus.
The state government is ramping up its surveillance efforts and treatment protocols. Panseriya emphasized the importance of prompt admission to ICU beds with oxygen and ventilator facilities for symptomatic patients to prevent severe conditions like multiple organ failure. The Chandipura virus, responsible for the outbreak, is a viral disease primarily transmitted by sandflies and other insects, causing inflammation of the brain. It was first identified in Chandipura village, Nagpur district, Maharashtra, in 1965.
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