As many as six children have died from suspected Chandipura virus in Gujarat in the last five days, with the total number of suspected cases rising to 12, state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said Monday.
Chandipura virus causes fever, with symptoms similar to flu, and acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). The pathogen is a member of the Vesiculovirus genus of the family Rhabdoviridae. It is transmitted by vectors like mosquitoes, ticks and sand flies.
"Four of these 12 patients are from Sabarkantha district, three from Aravalli and one each from Mahisagar and Kheda. Two patients are from Rajasthan and one from Madhya Pradesh. They received treatment in Gujarat. Six deaths due to suspected Chandipura virus have been reported in the state, but only after the results of the samples will it be clear whether they were caused by Chandipura virus," Mr Patel said.
"Five out of six deaths have been reported from the civil hospital in Himatnagar in Sabarkantha district. All 12 samples, including eight from Sabarkantha, have been sent to Pune's National Institute of Virology (NIV) for confirmation," he said.
Paediatricians at the civil hospital at Himatnagar had suspected Chandipura virus as the cause of death of four children on July 10 and sent their samples to NIV for confirmation. Later four more children at the hospital showed similar symptoms.
"Chandipura virus is not contagious. However, intensive surveillance has been undertaken in the affected areas. We have screened 18,646 persons in 4,487 houses. The health department is working round the clock to prevent the spread of the disease," Mr Patel said.
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