Chandipura outbreak: Govt sends joint response team to Gujarat, Rajasthan

A national joint response team has been sent to Gujarat and Rajasthan after fresh Chandipura virus cases and deaths among children prompted intensified containment efforts

  The Union government has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to Gujarat and Rajasthan as Chandipura virus infections continue to rise, prompting intensified surveillance, investigations, and vector control measures in the two states. The move comes amid growing concern over the virus, which primarily affects children and can rapidly progress to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), a serious condition that causes inflammation of the brain.

 

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the National Joint Outbreak Response Team comprises experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the National Centre for Vector-Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC), and other public health institutions.

 

 

Why has the government deployed a joint outbreak team?

 

The deployment follows a fresh outbreak after Gujarat reported 35 confirmed Chandipura virus cases out of 184 suspected patients tested, along with 22 deaths among children below the age of 15. Rajasthan has also confirmed three cases from the border districts of Dungarpur and Sirohi.

 

The team has been tasked with supporting Gujarat and Rajasthan in:

 

• Conducting detailed epidemiological investigations
• Strengthening disease surveillance and laboratory testing
• Supporting vector surveillance and control measures
• Reviewing clinical management of patients
• Coordinating public health response with state authorities

 

The team will also assess environmental and entomological factors to better understand how the virus is spreading and recommend targeted interventions.

 

What is Chandipura virus?

 

Chandipura virus (CHPV) is a member of the Rhabdoviridae family that causes Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and has been responsible for sporadic outbreaks in western, central, and southern India, particularly during the monsoon season. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus is transmitted by vectors such as sand flies, mosquitoes, and ticks.

 

The disease mainly affects children under the age of 15 and can progress rapidly from a sudden fever to convulsions, coma, and, in severe cases, death within 48 to 72 hours. As per WHO, Chandipura virus has caused case fatality ratios ranging from 56 per cent to 75 per cent during previous outbreaks in India.

 

Common symptoms include:

 

• Sudden high fever
• Vomiting
• Severe headache
• Convulsions or seizures
• Altered consciousness
• Rapid progression to encephalitis in severe cases

 

There is currently no specific antiviral treatment or approved vaccine, making early diagnosis and supportive medical care critical.

 

Simple measures to reduce the risk

 

Since there is no specific treatment, health authorities have stressed preventive measures to reduce exposure to disease-carrying insects. These include:

 

• Eliminating breeding sites around homes
• Maintaining good sanitation
• Using insect repellents
• Sleeping under mosquito or insect nets where appropriate
• Wearing full-sleeved clothing, especially for children
• Seeking immediate medical care if a child develops sudden fever with neurological symptoms

 

Officials have also stepped up insecticide spraying, awareness campaigns, and surveillance in affected areas.

 

2024 Chandipura outbreak

 

The current outbreak comes nearly two years after India recorded its largest Chandipura virus outbreak in more than two decades.

 

According to the WHO, India reported 245 cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), including 82 deaths, between early June and mid-August 2024. The outbreak prompted large-scale surveillance, vector control measures, public awareness campaigns, and the deployment of national outbreak response teams.