Gujarat records 42 Chandipura virus cases, 28 deaths since June 30

Gujarat has recorded 42 confirmed Chandipura virus cases and 28 deaths since June 30, with 324 suspected cases reported, health department data showed. Ten samples remain pending. The virus can cause rapidly progressing encephalitis, particularly affecting children during monsoon outbreaks

Gandhinagar:  Gujarat has recorded 42 laboratory-confirmed Chandipura virus cases and 28 deaths since the current surveillance period began on June 30, according to the latest state health department data released on Friday.

The state has reported 324 suspected cases during the period, with laboratory results for 10 samples still awaited. The figures, updated to 5 p.m. on August 27, show that test results have been received for 314 of the 324 suspected cases.

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Of the samples tested, 42 were found positive for Chandipura virus. The 28 deaths among confirmed patients put the case fatality proportion at about 66.7 per cent, based on the confirmed cases recorded so far.

The latest numbers mark a rise from the figures reported earlier this month. On August 14, Gujarat had recorded 257 suspected cases, 41 confirmed infections and 27 deaths, with results for 11 samples pending.

Chandipura virus is an arbovirus that can cause acute encephalitis and is known to disproportionately affect children. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says the virus is transmitted by sandflies and can cause rapidly progressing encephalitis or encephalopathy, with a particularly high case fatality rate in children.

The virus has previously caused significant outbreaks in Gujarat. During the 2024 outbreak, the NCDC deployed a multidisciplinary team to support the state’s surveillance and response efforts, including epidemiological investigations and entomological surveillance to identify possible vectors.

The current surveillance period follows the onset of cases during the monsoon season. Earlier in August, health authorities said patients were being monitored and treated at hospitals in several districts.

At that stage, the state Health Minister Praful Pansheriya had said that cases were being reported from different areas rather than being concentrated in a single village.

With 10 laboratory results still pending, the confirmed case and death figures could change as the remaining samples are tested. The NCDC lists quantitative PCR as one of the laboratory methods used for Chandipura virus testing.