New Delhi: Chandipura virus is continuing to infect children in Gujarat, taking the total tally of confirmed cases to 84, while the death toll has climbed to 32. Chandipura virus was first identified in India in 1965 in Maharastra’s Nagpur district. In the past, multiple outbreaks have been reported in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Gujarat. According to recent reports, there have been 75 cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome which is an inflammation of the brain that usually occurs due to infection have been reported since June 2024 in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, with 28 resulting in death.
As per the data released by the Union Health Ministry, there have been 75 cases of AES reported from Gujarat, two from Rajasthan and one from Madhya Pradesh. Now when the National Institute of Virology, Pune tested 76 samples out of them Chandipura virus was confirmed in nine those were from Gujarat. In the middle of a suspected outbreak of Chandipura Virus, a vector that is responsible for causing AES were reported in at least nine cases in Gujarat, out of them five died and were found positive for the deadly virus.
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) contributed only a small proportion
Following the outbreak, the panel of experts from the Ministry reviewed AES cases in the three states and found that infectious agents contributed to only a small proportion of them and focussed on the need for comprehensive “epidemiological, environmental and entomological (insect) studies”. According to a study published in PubMed, the Chandipura virus is prevalent in India and the virus is transmitted via sand flies and mosquitoes. However, very few reports of outbreaks of what was called acute encephalitis caused by it.
The link between Acute Encephalitis Syndrome and Chandipura virus
As per an NIV scientist, the Chandipura virus is always considered a differential diagnosis in cases of Children with AES, reported the Indian Express. However, the scientist also noted that the testing remains a problem. According to a report by the Indian Academy of Sciences, an investigation was carried out among the children during an earlier outbreak of encephalitis with a case mortality rate of 78.3 per cent. Out of all those children, twenty-six cases of AES were reported. Three of the patients had IgM antibodies to the Chandipura virus, while Chandipura virus RNA was present in 9 of 20 acute-phase serum samples.
In the study, the serologic and molecular assays documented the absence of Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, dengue virus, and paramyxoviruses in clinical samples. The etiologic agent was the Chandipura virus, which has become a vital part of the encephalitis-causing virus in India.
According to recent reports, there have been 75 cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome which is an inflammation of the brain that usually occurs due to infection have been reported since June 2024 in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, with 28 resulting in death. Health Conditions Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
