Chandipura virus outbreak reported in Gujarat. What we know
On Saturday, four children died due to inflammation of brain tissues in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district suspected to be caused by a Chandipura virus infection.
Six deaths were reported on Monday in Himmatnagar Hospital of Gujarat due to the Chandipura vesiculovirus(CHPV) commonly known as the Chandipura virus.
Two children under treatment for CHPV died of viral infection on Monday in Aravalli, Gujarat. On Saturday, four others died in the Sabarkantha district in the state due to a suspected infection from the virus which caused encephalitis or inflammation of brain tissues, reported PTI.
ALSO READ | First Chandipura case since 2012 reported in Maharashtra
Chief District Health Officer, Aravalli, MA Siddiqui told ANI, “50 teams have been constituted to do dusting at a mass level. I appeal to farmers to use insecticides and pesticides to kill mosquitos. Kids should be made to wear full-sleeved clothes to prevent them from mosquitoes”
Here are more details about the Chandipura Virus which was considered to be included in the 2017 list of priority diseases by the World Health Organisation.
What is the Chandipura Virus?
From April to June 1965, Nagpur, a town in central India saw the outbreak of a new virus which caused fever in human beings. Pravin N Bhatt and FM Rodrigues from Pune Virus Research Centre in a research paper released in 1967 classified the Chandipura virus as an arbovirus (viruses transmitted through arthropod vectors) new to India.
According to Bhatt and Rodrigues, the virus was considered one of the few mammalian viruses that cause structural changes in a host cell resulting from viral infection. The virus was found to be lethal to infants and adult mice by the scientists.
Chandipura virus is classified as a member of the Vesiculovirus genus from the family Rhabdoviridae. The word Rhabdo which means ‘rod shaped’ in Greek is assigned due to the bullet shape of the virus belonging to the family, wrote scientists A.B. Sudeep, Y.K. Gurav & V.P. Bondre in a review article published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research in 2016.
The 2003-04 outbreaks of the CHPV virus in central India resulted in a total of 322 child deaths, 183 in Andhra Pradesh, 115 in Maharashtra and 24 in Gujarat, with fatality rates 56 to 75 per cent respectively for Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat respectively, according to the review article by the three scientists. They also reported that in the majority of the cases, the patient deaths took place within 24 hours of the commencement of the symptoms.
CHPV outbreaks were also recorded in Warangal district (2006) currently in Telangana, Nagpur(2007), Maharashtra and so on.
Apart from India, CHPV viruses have been isolated from vectors in Nigeria, Senegal, and Sri Lanka.
Symptoms
The Chandipura virus is often characterised by a sudden onset of high fever followed by seizures, diarrhoea, vomiting, and reduced awareness of surroundings which can ultimately lead to death. It is reported that children infected by the virus die within 48-72 hours after the onset of symptoms.
The cause of death for most of the infected patients is interpreted as encephalitis which is inflammation of active brain tissues, stated the report by the trio, Sudeep, Gurav and Bondre.
Vectors
According to an article in the Journal of Research in Medical and Dental Science titled ‘Chandipura Virus: Another Exotic Tropical Disease?’ written by Dipshikha Maiti, Prasenjit Halder, Pritam Roy and SK Rasania, sandflies or drain flies are considered to be an important vector of the virus. CHPV also infects mosquitos.
Treatment and Prevention
There is no specific antiviral treatment available for the Chandipura virus. Emergency treatment is aimed at protecting the neurons or nerve cells due to lack of blood flow which is essential to prevent any long-term neurological complications. Medications such as mannitol and furosemide, which are decongestants are used to prevent swelling of the brain and to keep a check on pressure inside the skull.
Containing the vectors, and maintaining good nutrition, health, hygiene and awareness can help with controlling the virus.
What Gujarat government said on outbreak?
Gujarat health minister Rushikesh Patel appealed to the public not to panic and advised them to take necessary precautions. He told PTI that the situation was under control and appealed to the public to take precautions and seek medical attention immediately if symptoms persist.
