Four children die due to suspected Chandipura virus infection in Gujarat, two are undergoing treatment

Himmatnagar (Gujarat): Four children have died due to suspected Chandipura virus infection in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat while two others are undergoing treatment. An official gave this information today.

Both the children are admitted to the civil hospital in Himmatnagar in the district. Chandipura virus causes fever with flu-like symptoms. This causes severe encephalitis (swelling in the brain).

This causes severe encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). The virus is a member of the vesiculovirus genus of the family Rhabdoviridae. It is spread by mosquitoes, flies and insects.

The blood samples of all the six children have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for confirmation and their results are awaited, Sabarkantha Chief Medical Officer Raj Sutaria said.