In Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district, four children have died and two are undergoing treatment for suspected Chandipura virus infection, according to an official statement on Saturday. The two children receiving care are at the civil hospital in Himmatnagar. Chandipura virus, a member of the Vesiculovirus genus in the Rhabdoviridae family, causes fever, flu-like symptoms, and acute encephalitis, and is transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, and sandflies. Blood samples from all six children have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for confirmation.
Paediatricians at the Himmatnagar civil hospital suspected the Chandipura virus’s role after four children died there on July 10. Two other children admitted with similar symptoms are also believed to be infected. Of the deceased, one child was from Sabarkantha district, two from neighboring Aravalli district, and one from Rajasthan. The two children currently under treatment are also from Rajasthan, and the authorities there have been informed about the deaths.
To combat the infection, district authorities have deployed teams for preventive measures, including dusting to kill sandflies in affected areas. Raj Sutariya, the Chief District Health Officer of Sabarkantha, confirmed that all six samples, including those of the deceased children, have been sent to NIV Pune for verification. The results are awaited to confirm the presence of the Chandipura virus.
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