Six children dead from suspected Chandipura virus in Gujarat: Minister

“There are six suspected deaths due to Chandipura virus in the state. However, confirmation of whether these cases were indeed due to Chandipura disease will only be possible after the sample results are received,” he said in a video statement released on X, formerly Twitter.

Chandipura Viral Encephalitis (CHPV) causes fever, with symptoms similar to flu, and acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). The pathogen is a member of the Vesiculovirus genus of the family Rhabdoviridae. It is transmitted by vectors like mosquitoes, ticks and sand flies.

The virus is named after Maharashtra’s Chandipura district where the first CHPV outbreak was reported in 1965.