2 out of 3 infected children dead, toll now 28: Gujarat fights killer virus
Gujarat has said 324 suspected Chandipura virus cases have been reported across the state and in border districts of Rajasthan. Of these, 42 children have been confirmed to have contracted CHPV.
The death toll among children in Gujarat’s current Chandipura virus outbreak has risen to 28, six more than the 22 deaths last officially confirmed on August 3, the state government said in a statement Thursday.
The death toll in the current outbreak, in which the first case was reported on June 30, is now equal to the number of children who had both Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and laboratory-confirmed Chandipura Vesiculovirus (CHPV) infection during the last major outbreak in 2024.
The state government also said 324 suspected cases had been reported across Gujarat and in border districts of Rajasthan. Of these, 42 children have been confirmed to have contracted CHPV.
Based on these officially confirmed figures, 28 of the 42 laboratory-confirmed CHPV cases have died, putting the case-fatality ratio among confirmed cases at 66.7 per cent, or about two out of every three laboratory-confirmed cases have died in the current outbreak.
However, this figure applies only to confirmed cases reported by the authorities and may not capture infections or deaths that were not detected or tested, officials said.
“Out of the total 324 suspected cases, test results of 314 samples have been received while test results of 10 samples are awaited,” said the state government.
Chandipura cases in Kutch
Following the death of a child in Anjar, the Kutch district administration said in a statement Thursday that eight suspected cases had so far been reported in the district. “Out of these, laboratory reports of 7 cases have come back negative, while one patient has died during treatment. Currently, three patients are admitted to the hospital and are under medical treatment and supervision,” the administration said.
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“As soon as the case of Chandipura virus was reported in Anjar area, the necessary work was started by the District Epidemic Control System on an immediate basis,” the statement said.
Intensive dusting and fogging were carried out within a 500-metre radius of the affected child’s residence. Insecticide was also sprayed to control sandflies, the suspected vector of CHPV.
“Under this operation, the teams of the Health Department have visited 883 houses so far, covering a total population of 3,480. House-to-house surveillance is being conducted in the affected area and surrounding areas; persons with suspicious symptoms are being examined, and necessary health guidance is being provided,” the statement added.
The Indian Express reported on August 14 that researchers from state and national laboratories who were part of the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT), deployed to Gujarat and Rajasthan by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), had not yet identified either the animal reservoir from which CHPV originated or the arthropod vector responsible for transmission in humans in either the 2024 or 2026 outbreaks.
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The Kutch administration said an entomological team specially called from Rajkot had surveyed the affected area to investigate the possible carriers of the Chandipura virus. The team collected samples of sandflies and other vectors, which have been sent to the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) in Gandhinagar for further testing.
Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters.
Expertise
Health and Public Policy: He has deep expertise in healthcare issues, including rare diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the complex logistics of organ transplants, and public health challenges like drug-resistant TB and heat health surveillance. His on-ground reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mucormycosis was critical in exposing healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities in Gujarat.
Social Justice and Legal Administration: He reports on the functioning of the legal and police system, including the impact of judicial philosophy, forensics and crucial administrative reforms (. He covers major surveillance and crackdown exercises by the Gujarat police and security on the international border.
Disaster and Crisis Management: His work closely tracks how government and civic bodies respond to large-scale crises, providing essential coverage on the human and administrative fallout of disasters including cyclones, floods, conflict, major fires and reported extensively on the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad.
Civic Infrastructure and Governance: Provides timely reports on critical civic failures, including large scale infrastructure projects by the railways and civic bodies, as well as the enforcement of municipal regulations and their impact on residents and heritage. ... Read More
