Chandipura Virus Outbreak: 25 Children Dead In Gujarat, Carrier Still Unknown

Gujarat has reported 25 deaths from Chandipura virus in the past five weeks, with health authorities yet to identify the insect or animal carrying the virus. The state government has confirmed 39 Chandipura Vesiculovirus (CHPV) cases among children, with infections reported across 12 districts of Gujarat and three districts of Rajasthan.

Over 1,000 Insect Samples Test Negative

Health experts have screened more than 1,000 samples of sandflies, mosquitoes and ticks, but none has tested positive for CHPV so far.

Samples collected during the 2024 outbreak also failed to identify an infected carrier, leaving researchers without a clear explanation for how the virus is spreading.

Sandflies are considered the main carriers of Chandipura virus. They are commonly found in cracks and crevices of mud houses and around livestock.

No Clear Cluster Of Cases

The current outbreak has been reported across several districts, but health officials have not identified any clear geographical cluster.

Patan has recorded the highest number of cases, with five infections, followed by Sabarkantha with four. Individual cases have been reported from different areas, making it difficult for researchers to pinpoint a common source.

Scientists are also testing mosquitoes, including Aedes aegypti and Culex species, as well as ticks, to determine whether they could be involved in transmission.

How Scientists Are Searching For The Carrier

Researchers collect insects from areas where human cases have been reported before sending the samples to laboratories, where they are stored at around minus 20 degrees Celsius.

The insects are then crushed and their genetic material extracted. Scientists use Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) to check for the presence of Chandipura virus.

So far, the tests have found no evidence of CHPV in the collected insects.

Scientists have also tested cattle living near locations where human cases were detected. Those tests have not provided evidence of a possible animal host or reservoir either.

What Is Chandipura Virus?

Chandipura virus was first identified in 1965 in Chandipura village in Maharashtra. It primarily affects children and can cause Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), a serious condition involving inflammation of the brain that can become fatal.

Researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) found molecular evidence of CHPV in Sergentomyia species of sandflies during a 2018 outbreak in Gujarat, establishing sandflies as a potential vector.

However, infected sandflies were not detected during the 2024 outbreak or the current outbreak.

During the 2024 outbreak, 78 children developed symptoms and 28 died, according to the information provided.

Children Under 15 Most Vulnerable

Chandipura virus can affect people of different ages, but children below 15 are particularly vulnerable to severe illness.

Symptoms can include sudden high fever, severe headache, repeated vomiting, body pain, diarrhoea, seizures, loss of consciousness, irritability and extreme sleepiness. Severe cases can progress to coma.

Children living in rural and semi-rural areas may face greater exposure where sandflies and other insects are common. Risk may also be higher around mud houses with cracks, livestock shelters and among children who sleep without mosquito nets.

Why The Outbreak Is Raising Concern

The inability to identify an infected carrier despite extensive sampling has emerged as a major challenge for health authorities.

With cases spread across multiple districts and no clear clusters identified, researchers are continuing to investigate insects and potential animal hosts to establish how Chandipura virus is being transmitted during the current outbreak.