Gujarat is grappling with a severe health crisis due to an outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), which has resulted in 48 deaths over the past month. The state health department attributes the outbreak primarily to the Chandipura virus (CHPV), with 39 confirmed cases. The outbreak has been especially deadly among children under 15 years old. The most affected regions include Sabarkantha and Pachmahal with six cases each, Aravalli and Kheda with three each, Mehsana with four, Ahmedabad city with three, and Dahod with two.
The Chandipura virus was first detected in Gujarat on July 17, following the death of a four-year-old child, Mota Kanthariya, from Aravalli. This case marked the state’s initial fatality linked to the virus. AES, which causes brain inflammation, can be triggered by several viruses, including Chandipura, a member of the Rhabdoviridae family. Symptoms typically include high fever, severe headache, and muscle pain, which can escalate to altered consciousness, seizures, coma, and death if left untreated.
In response to the outbreak, health officials have deployed rapid response teams and heightened surveillance. Preventive measures include extensive insecticide spraying in nearly 500,000 households, 19,000 schools, and over 21,000 Anganwadis, along with Malathion fogging. Currently, 54 patients remain hospitalized, while 26 have been discharged. Despite these measures, the rapid neurological decline associated with the virus highlights the critical need for early detection and treatment to combat the outbreak effectively.
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