The Chandipura virus outbreak in Gujarat has taken a serious turn, with the number of children who have died rising to 28, according to the latest statement from the state government. This is six more deaths than the 22 officially confirmed on August 3.
The current outbreak began with the first reported case on June 30. With the latest figures, the number of deaths among laboratory-confirmed Chandipura virus cases has reached the same level as the number of children who had both Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and confirmed Chandipura Vesiculovirus (CHPV) infection during Gujarat’s last major outbreak in 2024.
The state has so far reported 324 suspected cases across Gujarat and neighbouring border districts of Rajasthan. Of these, 42 children have been confirmed to have CHPV infection.
28 of 42 Confirmed Cases Have Died
The official figures show the severity of the outbreak among laboratory-confirmed cases. Of the 42 children confirmed to have CHPV infection, 28 have died.
This puts the case-fatality ratio among the confirmed cases at 66.7 per cent, meaning roughly two out of every three laboratory-confirmed cases have died in the current outbreak.
However, this percentage is based only on cases officially confirmed through testing. It may not represent infections or deaths that were not detected or tested.
The state government said that test results for most suspected cases have now been received.
“Out of the total 324 suspected cases, test results of 314 samples have been received while test results of 10 samples are awaited,” the government said.
Kutch Reports Eight Suspected Cases
The situation has also drawn attention in Kutch, where a child died during treatment in Anjar.
According to the Kutch district administration, eight suspected Chandipura cases have been reported in the district so far. Laboratory reports for seven of these cases have returned negative, while one patient died during treatment.
At present, three patients remain admitted to hospital and are receiving medical treatment and supervision.
The administration said that disease-control measures were started immediately after the suspected Chandipura case was reported in the Anjar area.
Dusting and Fogging Around Affected Area
Health teams have carried out intensive dusting and fogging within a 500-metre radius of the affected child’s residence.
Insecticide spraying was also undertaken to control sandflies, which are a suspected vector for transmission of CHPV.
The district administration said health teams have so far visited 883 houses, covering a population of 3,480 people.
House-to-house surveillance is continuing in the affected and surrounding areas. During these visits, people with suspicious symptoms are being examined and given necessary health guidance.
Search for the Virus Carrier Continues
Despite the control measures, questions remain about how the virus is spreading.
Researchers from state and national laboratories who were part of the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) had been deployed to Gujarat and Rajasthan. The investigation has so far not identified the animal reservoir from which CHPV originated or the arthropod vector responsible for transmitting the virus to humans in either the 2024 or 2026 outbreaks.
The Kutch administration has now brought in an entomological team from Rajkot to investigate possible carriers of the virus in the affected area.
The team collected samples of sandflies and other possible vectors. These samples have been sent to the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) in Gandhinagar for further testing.
Surveillance and Testing Remain Key
With 10 suspected cases still awaiting test results, authorities continue to track possible infections through surveillance and laboratory testing.
The latest numbers show that while confirmed CHPV infections remain limited compared with the total number of suspected cases, the deaths among confirmed cases are high.
For now, health authorities are combining house-to-house surveillance, insect-control measures, testing and investigation of possible vectors to understand and contain the outbreak.
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