National team deployed in Gujarat to investigate, control and treat Chandipura Virus outbreak
New Delhi, August 12
A national team comprising experts from the Indian Council of Medical Research has been deputed to Gujarat to investigate and strengthen the response to Chandipura virus disease.
Speaking to ANI, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Dr. Rajiv Bahl said that the team is working with state authorities and other experts to understand the disease, control its spread and explore treatment approaches.
"Chandipura virus outbreak occurred several times before, but the latest one was about two years ago. There is also one that is going on now. There is a Special Task Force there working in Gujarat," Bahl said.
He said that ICMR teams had already been working in Gujarat for the past two years to investigate the disease and understand why outbreaks occur.
"In fact, the ICMR team has been working along with others on this Chandipura disease to try and understand where it is coming from, why it is happening, and we have been investigating it for the past two years," Bahl said.
He added that teams were already active in affected areas of Gujarat, but a national team has now also been deployed to strengthen the response.
"Several new things are being done there to understand, control and then eventually even treat the disease," he said.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to Gujarat and Rajasthan to strengthen the response to the Chandipura virus disease outbreak.
The response is being supported by disease surveillance under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), coordinated by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), in coordination with state surveillance units. The NCDC Public Health Emergency Operations Centre has also been activated to support the NJORT.
According to the World Health Organisation, Chandipura virus (CHPV) is a member of the Rhabdoviridae family and is associated with acute encephalitis syndrome (AES), particularly among children. The virus is transmitted by vectors, including sandflies, mosquitoes and ticks. In Gujarat, Phlebotomus papatasi, a sandfly, has been reported as a vector.
The disease can begin with fever and may progress to convulsions, coma and, in severe cases, death. WHO has reported a case-fatality ratio of 56 to 75 per cent in previous Chandipura outbreaks in India.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see ICMR taking this seriously. But why did it take two years of investigation without a concrete solution? Hope the new task force brings more clarity on prevention, especially in rural areas where sandflies are common.
This is a serious public health issue, especially for children. I appreciate the swift action, but we need more awareness campaigns in villages. Many people don't even know about this virus or how it spreads through sandflies. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
The ICMR DG's statement is reassuring, but I wonder if the state health infrastructure is equipped to handle this. Let's hope the NCDC's surveillance systems work effectively on the ground. Stay safe, Gujarat!
As someone from Gujarat, I'm concerned but also hopeful. The previous outbreaks were managed, but the fatality rate is alarming. The government should also focus on vector control—cleaning stagnant water, spraying insecticides, etc. Prevention is better than cure!
It's concerning to see another viral outbreak in India, but the coordination between ICMR, NCDC, and state authorities seems solid. Early detection is key—hope the national team's deployment speeds up the response and saves young lives.
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