Centre deploys response team to Gujarat and Rajasthan over Chandipura virus cases

The Story in Brief

The Union health ministry has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to Gujarat and Rajasthan to strengthen the response to a Chandipura virus outbreak that has killed at least 22 children in Gujarat this monsoon. The Centre has stepped up disease surveillance, scientific investigations and testing in the affected districts, the ministry said.

NJORT includes experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) to assist states with outbreak investigation, epidemiology, clinical management, laboratory coordination, vector surveillance and public health measures. The NCDC’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre has been activated and surveillance continues under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.

Active surveillance among patients with acute febrile illness and acute encephalitis syndrome, community serosurveys and mandatory testing of fever patients are under way. Authorities are analysing large numbers of vector samples and have expanded animal surveillance, collecting blood and milk from cattle, buffaloes and goats; around 70 animal blood samples are being analysed. Whole-genome sequencing at the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre has identified minor genetic variations, and officials say further study is needed.

The Indian Opinion

The article presents a factual account of official actions and investigations, but readers should note that several key questions remain open. Officials say the vector responsible for this outbreak is not yet identified and animal sampling and genomic findings are preliminary. Past testing in 2024 found no conclusive vector, and current analyses of around 70 animal blood samples are incomplete. Coverage that highlights deaths or uses the term “outbreak” may alarm readers; a balanced approach would report the deaths while also emphasising ongoing investigations, the multidisciplinary response and the stated need for further laboratory confirmation before drawing firm conclusions.

Original article: Centre deploys response team to Gujarat, Rajasthan amid Chandipura virus cases (www.hindustantimes.com)

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