Gujarat: Chandipura virus kills 6 kids in 5 days
July 15, 2024 21:20
As
many as six children have died from suspected Chandipura virus in
Gujarat in the last five days, with the total number of suspected cases
rising to 12, state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said Monday.
Chandipura virus causes fever, with symptoms similar to flu, and acute
encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). The pathogen is a member of
the Vesiculovirus genus of the family Rhabdoviridae.
It is transmitted
by vectors like mosquitoes, ticks and sand flies.
"Four of these 12
patients are from Sabarkantha district, three from Aravalli and one each
from Mahisagar and Kheda. Two patients are from Rajasthan and one from
Madhya Pradesh. They received treatment in Gujarat. Six deaths due to
suspected Chandipura virus have been reported in the state, but only
after the results of the samples will it be clear whether they were
caused by Chandipura virus," Patel said.
"Five out of six deaths have
been reported from the civil hospital in Himatnagar in Sabarkantha
district. All 12 samples, including eight from Sabarkantha, have been
sent to Pune's National Institute of Virology (NIV) for confirmation,"
he said.
Paediatricians at the civil hospital at Himatnagar had suspected
Chandipura virus as the cause of death of four children on July 10 and
sent their samples to NIV for confirmation.
Later four more children at
the hospital showed similar symptoms.
"Chandipura virus is not
contagious. However, intensive surveillance has been undertaken in the
affected areas. We have screened 18,646 persons in 4,487 houses. The
health department is working round the clock to prevent the spread of
the disease," Patel said. -- PTI