Chandipura cases in Gujarat are continuously rising as a 12-year-old girl from the Sachin area in Surat was admitted to New Civil Hospital for treatment over a suspected case of Chandipura.

As this is the first suspected case recorded in Surat, the health department has been put on high alert.

Sandhya Singh, who resides in the slum board area of Sachin, has been experiencing high fever and seizures for the past few days. 

She was initially taken to a private hospital for treatment, but on July 20, she was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) on the first floor of the Kidney Building at New Civil Hospital for further treatment. She is currently being treated on a ventilator. As she was exhibiting  symptoms similar to Chandipura virus, her samples were for testing.

According to reports, in recent days, many children in several districts of the state have been infected by the viral encephalitis (Chandipura) virus. Till July 19, 28 suspected cases were reported, bringing the total number of cases to 58. Tragically, five children have also succumbed to the virus, raising the official death toll to 20.

The disease is transmitted by the bite of an infected sand fly and primarily affects children aged nine months to 14 years. The main symptoms are high-grade fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, and seizures. If these symptoms are observed in children, immediate medical consultation is advised.

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Suspected Chandipura virus cases in Gujarat climb to 58, death toll 20