Chandipura virus outbreak: Centre deploys national response team to Gujarat and Rajasthan

Published 5 August 2026 · local

New Delhi: In response to a surge in viral encephalitis cases, the Union health ministry has deployed a multidisciplinary national joint outbreak response team (NJORT)

New Delhi: In response to a surge in viral encephalitis cases, the Union health ministry has deployed a multidisciplinary national joint outbreak response team (NJORT) to Gujarat and Rajasthan to assist state authorities in managing the ongoing Chandipura virus disease (CHPV) outbreak, the government said on Wednesday. State health authorities in Gujarat have reported 35 confirmed positive cases out of 184 suspected patients tested, alongside 22 deaths among children under 15 during the current monsoon season. Rajasthan health authorities and media reports have confirmed three positive Chandipura virus cases from border districts Dungarpur and Sirohi. All three infected children were referred to Gujarat for emergency treatment, where two succumbed to the infection. CHPV is a high-fatality vector-borne pathogen primarily transmitted by infected sandflies, which almost exclusively targets children under 15 years. It presents with sudden high fever and rapidly escalates to acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) with brain swelling and seizures, carrying a 55% to 75% case fatality rate.

The NJORT comprises experts from the Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD). It will supplement state efforts in outbreak investigation, epidemiological assessment, clinical management, laboratory coordination, vector surveillance, and containment measures. The NCDC Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) has also been activated to support field activities. The deployment coincides with one of the most comprehensive scientific investigations into Chandipura virus in recent years, drawing specialists from the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Active surveillance has been intensified among patients presenting with acute febrile illness (AFI) and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES), alongside community-based serosurveys. Dr Aashish Chaudhry, managing director at Aakash Healthcare, said, “The deployment of a response team is a timely and welcome step, but the long-term solution lies in strengthening surveillance and prevention at the community level.

AES, including infections caused by Chandipura virus, progresses rapidly, leaving a narrow window for intervention. We need robust early warning systems, syndromic surveillance, rapid diagnostic capabilities, trained frontline healthcare workers, and community awareness to identify symptoms before they become life-threatening.” Also Read | Centre steps up dengue surveillance as monsoon raises outbreak risk “Equally important are sustained vector control measures, environmental sanitation, and coordinated public health action. Preventing outbreaks is always more effective than responding after lives are at risk,” he added. Searching for source continues Unravelling the virus transmission cycle remains a primary focus. While sandflies are established vectors, scientists are examining whether other arthropods—including mosquitoes, ticks, and mites—also play a role. Animal surveillance has also been expanded, with blood and milk samples collected from livestock to check for viral circulation. Addressing the vector study, the health ministry said, “It is premature to identify the vector responsible for the current outbreak until scientific investigations are completed.” Researchers are also probing whether the virus has undergone genetic changes.