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Chandipura Virus Spreads: National Team Deployed to Gujarat
14 Aug
Summary
- National team deputed to Gujarat to investigate Chandipura virus disease.
- ICMR teams have been investigating the disease for the past two years.
- WHO reports a high case-fatality ratio of 56 to 75 percent.
A specialized national team comprising experts from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been deployed to Gujarat. This initiative aims to investigate and enhance the response to the ongoing Chandipura virus disease outbreak.
ICMR Director General Dr. Rajiv Bahl stated that teams have been actively working in Gujarat for the past two years. Their focus has been on understanding the disease's origins, the reasons for its recurrence, and exploring treatment possibilities. This ongoing effort seeks to control the spread and improve management of the illness.
Further strengthening the national response, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also dispatched a National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to both Gujarat and Rajasthan. This coordinated effort involves disease surveillance programs and activated public health emergency operations centers.
The Chandipura virus, a member of the Rhabdoviridae family, is known to cause acute encephalitis syndrome, particularly in children. The World Health Organization notes a significant case-fatality ratio, ranging from 56 to 75 percent in previous Indian outbreaks, underscoring the severity of the disease.
