Centre Deploys Joint Response Team to Tackle Chandipura Virus Outbreak

The Union Health Ministry deployed a multidisciplinary national joint response team to Gujarat and Rajasthan to manage a Chandipura virus outbreak that has caused at least 22 child deaths this monsoon.

The team includes experts from the National Centre for Disease Control and the Indian Council of Medical Research to investigate transmission cycles, including the role of sandflies and potential animal reservoirs.

Authorities have collected 70 blood samples from domestic animals like cattle, buffaloes, and goats to determine if they act as virus reservoirs while expanding surveillance to include other potential insect vectors.