Centre Deploys Expert Team to Investigate Chandipura Virus Outbreak

The Union Health Ministry has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to Gujarat and Rajasthan to investigate the Chandipura virus outbreak that has caused over 20 child deaths in Gujarat.

The multi-agency team, including experts from NCDC and ICMR, is conducting genome sequencing and testing 70 collected animal blood samples to identify transmission vectors beyond sandflies.

Investigations are supported by the national Hospital-based Acute Encephalitis Syndrome Surveillance Network, which spans 15 tertiary care hospitals to monitor the clinical spectrum of the infection.