Ahmedabad: Since the first case was reported in early July, the Chandipura virus has claimed the lives of 28 children under the age of 14 in Gujarat.
State Health minister Rushikesh Patel gave the information in the state Assembly while responding to a question by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Umesh Makwana on Wednesday.
According to the minister, there have been 164 reported cases of viral encephalitis in Gujarat, with 101 children succumbing to the infection. Of the 164 cases, 61 were specifically caused by Chandipura virus.
Chandipura virus — which causes fever, flu-like symptoms and acute inflammation of the brain — is mainly transmitted by mosquitoes and sandflies.
The good news is that no new case has been reported in the past week and no deaths in the last 12 days, suggesting that the situation is under control now.
The virus was first identified in 1965 in a Maharashtra village called Chandipura.
In six decades since then, the virus has been sporadically reported in states like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
