Chandipura Virus Death in Gujarat: What is Chandipura Virus? Know Full Details

Fifteen children in Gujarat have reportedly died from a suspected viral infection called the Chandipura virus since July 10. A total of 29 cases of Chandipura disease have been confirmed till now. State Health Minister Rushikesh Patel has confirmed these numbers. 

The disease caused by the Chandipura virus was identified as a potential priority disease in the year 2017 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

What is Chandipura Virus?

According to an article published in The Lancet in 2004, titled "Chandipura virus: an emerging human pathogen?", the Chandipura virus belongs to the Vesiculovirus genus in the Rhabdoviridae family. The family also includes the rabies virus. 

The Chandipura virus was first discovered in 1965 from the blood of two adults with a fever in a village near Nagpur, Maharashtra. The virus is named after the Chandipura village where it was found.

How is Chandipura Virus transmitted?

Chandipura Virus is transmitted through vectors. The Chandipura virus is spread by certain insects, such as Phlebotomine sandflies, Phlebotomus papatasi, and some mosquito species like Aedes aegypti (which also spreads dengue). 

The virus lives in the salivary glands of these insects and gets passed to humans or other animals through their bites.

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Efforts Taken by the Government

Gujarat health officials have taken several precautionary measures to combat the Chandipura virus outbreak:

• Screened over 44,000 individuals in 8,600 houses across 26 residential zones.
• Implemented intensive surveillance in the affected districts.
• Issued a special advisory to the community, primary health centres, sub-region hospitals, and medical colleges.
• Advised on treating suspected cases with specific symptoms, including those related to the Chandipura infection.

State Health Minister Patel confirmed these steps taken by the State Health Department.

Chandipura Outbreaks in India

The infection mostly affects humans, particularly children, and has been found during occasional outbreaks in several regions of India as well as other countries in Asia and Africa.

322 children died as a result of the particularly destructive 2003–04 epidemics in central India, including 183 in Andhra Pradesh, 115 in Maharashtra, and 24 in Gujarat. There was a startling increase in the number of casualties, from 56% in Andhra Pradesh to 75% in Gujarat.

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