Gujarat has recorded 35 confirmed cases of Chandipura virus (CHPV) infection during the ongoing monsoon season, with 22 children succumbing to the disease, according to State Health Minister Praful Panseriya. A total of 184 suspected cases have been reported across the state, while results of 11 samples are still awaited, reported ET.
The minister said that all affected patients are below 15 years of age. Currently, seven children remain under treatment in various government hospitals, including facilities in Gandhinagar, Rajkot and other districts.
To strengthen clinical management, the state government has directed both public and private paediatric hospitals to ensure immediate admission of symptomatic children to intensive care units equipped with oxygen and ventilator support. Officials believe early intervention can help prevent severe complications such as multiple organ failure.
Children admitted to civil hospitals in Gandhinagar, Himmatnagar, Patan, Rajkot and Bhavnagar are receiving specialist care, with teams of paediatricians and critical care experts closely monitoring their condition.
Health authorities noted that infections have emerged from multiple districts rather than being confined to a single locality. In response, surveillance and vector-control measures have been intensified. Teams are conducting pesticide spraying operations, particularly in areas with significant animal husbandry activity, to curb the sandfly population, the primary vector responsible for transmitting the virus.
Chandipura virus causes acute encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain that can progress rapidly in children. The virus is primarily spread through sandflies and was first identified in 1965 from a patient in Chandipura village of Maharashtra’s Nagpur district. Health officials have urged parents to seek immediate medical attention if children develop symptoms such as high fever, vomiting, seizures, altered consciousness or sudden neurological complications.
