A four-year-old girl died in Gujarat due to the Chandipura virus (CHPV) and has been confirmed as the first such fatality in the state, according to a health department official. The toddler was from Aravalli district's Mota Kanthariya village. She died at the civil hospital in Himatnagar of the Sabarkantha district.
Apart from her, 14 other patients also died due to suspected CHPV in Gujarat, which has reported 29 cases so far.
What is the Chandipura Virus?
The Chandipura virus is an arbovirus that belongs to the Vesiculovirus genus in the Rhabdoviridae family.
It was first discovered in the Chandipura village of Maharashtra in 1965 and transmits through vectors like phlebotomine sandflies, mosquitoes, and ticks among others.
It causes fever, with symptoms similar to flu and acute encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain and is considered lethal. Children are said to be more prone to the Chandipura virus. However, it is not contagious, reports said.
Symptoms
Some of the most common symptoms seen among patients infected with Chandipura virus include:
- Headache: Patients often complain about severe headaches.
- Fever: Sudden onset of high fever.
- Frequent vomiting
- Coma: At times, the virus can even lead to coma and death in rare cases.
- Convulsions: Patients can get seizures or convulsions.
Prevention
- The preventive measures are mainly aimed at controlling the sandfly population as well as minimising exposure.
- Avoid sandfly bites: Wear full-sleeved clothes to minimise mosquito bites. Use bed nets while sleeping.
- Insect repellents: Use insect repellents to reduce the risk of sandfly bites.
- Clean surroundings: Keep your surroundings clean. Make sure there are no potential sandfly breeding grounds in your locality.
Treatment
As of now, there is no specific vaccine or antiviral treatment for the Chandipura virus. To prevent fatalities, early detection, hospitalisation, and symptomatic care are crucial.
- Hospitalisation: Patients with severe symptoms are required to be hospitalised.
- Hydration: It is important to ensure proper hydration, especially in cases where vomiting is severe.
- Intensive Care: In severe neurological symptoms, intensive care is often considered necessary to manage the respiratory and neurological complications of the patient.
- Antipyretics: To reduce fever, proper medication is required.
- Anticonvulsants: This is done to control seizures.
