Sabarkantha:

Five more suspected cases of Chandipura virus have been reported from Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district. According to the officials, 14 people suspected of being infected with the virus were admitted to Sabarkantha Civil Hospital.

“Till now, there are 14 cases of Chandipura virus in Sabarkantha Civil Hospital. Out of the 14 cases, 6 people have died. 7 cases under treatment at Himmatnagar Hospital,” Sabarkantha District Health Officer Raj Sutariya told ANI.

The National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune on Wednesday confirmed the first fatality of a four-year-old girl who had contracted the Chandipura virus in Gujarat.

In the past 24 hours, a total of five children were found suspected of Chandipura virus in Himmatnagar.

According to the officials, 6 children are under treatment in Himmatnagar Civil for the suspected Chandipura virus infection.

Many districts in Gujarat have reported suspected cases of Chandipura virus infection.

According to the officials, three deaths from Chandipura virus infection have been reported in the Aravalli district of Gujarat.

Gujarat’s Kheda district reported one case of the Chandipura virus.

According to the officials, 12 samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.

Neighboring Rajasthan has also reported one death from the Chandipura virus.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel reviewed the Chandipura virus situation in the state and the measures taken to control the epidemic. In this meeting held in the presence of Health Minister Rishikesh Patel and other senior officials, the CM held a video conference with the State Municipal Commissioners, District Collectors and District Development Officers, as well as the Chief District Health Officers, to get the details of their district performance.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Chandipura virus has killed a four-year-old girl in Gujarat, a health department official said on Wednesday while confirming the first such fatality in the state.

As many as 14 other patients are suspected to have died of the infection in the state, which has so far reported 29 cases of the virus that causes fever, with symptoms similar to flu, and acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

“The sample of a four-year-old girl from Aravalli district’s Mota Kanthariya village, who died at the civil hospital at Himatnagar in Sabarkantha district, has tested positive for the Chandipura virus. This was the first death due to the Chandipura virus infection in the state,” the news agency PTI quoted Sabarkantha Chief District Health Officer (CDHO) Raj Sutariya as saying.

A patient from Rajasthan’s Udaipur, who was being treated at a state hospital, has also died of suspected Chandipura virus.

The suspected deaths have been reported from Sabarkantha (two), Aravalli (two), Mahisagar (one), Mehsana (one), Rajkot (two), Surendranagar (one), Ahmedabad (one), Morbi (two) and GMC (one) districts.

The cases have also been reported from Kheda, Gandhinagar, Panchmahaland Jamnagar districts.

Another patient from Rajasthan’s Udaipur and one from Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar have also been treated in the state hospitals, officials said.

What Is Chandipura Virus

Chandipura virus is a type of arbovirus that is a member of the vesicular virus genus of the Rhabdoviridae family.

It is transmitted primarily through phlebotomine sandflies and sometimes through ticks and mosquitoes.

Children are reportedly more prone to getting infected with this virus.

It was first identified in India in 1965 in Chandipura village in Maharashtra.

Chandipura Virus Symptoms

Infection with the Chandipura virus typically begins with a sudden high fever.

It is followed by severe headaches, vomiting, convulsions, and altered mental status, according to reports.

Rapid progression can lead to encephalitis, characterised by inflammation of the brain, leading to coma or death if not treated promptly.

(With agency inputs)