Udaipur : Four children died of suspected Chandipura virus infection in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district and two others are admitted in the civil hospital. This information was given in an official statement of the Gujarat government on Saturday. Officials have started efforts to stop the spread of infection. All the deaths occurred on July 10. One of the deceased children was from Sabarkantha, two were from neighboring Aravalli district and the fourth was from Rajasthan. Apart from this, two more children are undergoing treatment. Both these children are also residents of Rajasthan. The Gujarat government has informed the Rajasthan authorities about the deaths due to suspected viral infection.
This virus has wreaked havoc before
Chandipura virus, a member of the Rhabdoviridae family, causes flu-like symptoms and can cause acute encephalitis, a severe inflammation of the brain. It was first identified in Maharashtra in 1965 and has been linked to various outbreaks of encephalitis disease in the country. An outbreak in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra in 2003 resulted in the death of 183 of the 329 affected children. Sporadic cases and deaths were also seen in Gujarat in 2004.
Blood samples sent to NIV
The virus is transmitted through vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks and sandflies. Raj Sutaria, chief district health officer of Sabarkantha in Gujarat, said blood samples of six affected children have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for confirmation. “After the death of four children on July 10, paediatricians at Himmatnagar civil hospital suspected Chandipura virus. Two other children currently admitted in the hospital are also showing similar symptoms, indicating the possibility of infection with the same virus,” an official said.
