NJORT deployed as Chandipura virus outbreak probed in Gujarat, Rajasthan

The Chandipura virus outbreak response: what happened?

Chandipura virus can cause anything from mild fever to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES). The response here is a good example of One Health: doctors, vector scientists and vets working on one outbreak together.

• Active surveillance of Acute Febrile Illness (AFI) and AES cases in affected districts; community serosurveys for hidden infections.
• Mosquitoes, ticks and mites are being tested for a possible role; officials say it is too early to name the vector.
• Around 70 animal blood samples (cattle, buffaloes, goats) plus milk samples are being tested.
• Whole-genome sequencing at GBRC, Gandhinagar shows minor genetic variations so far.
• A Hospital-based AES Surveillance Network of 15 tertiary hospitals supports the work.

What did the 2024 outbreak teach?

• In the 2024 Gujarat outbreak, several vector species including sandflies were tested, but all were negative for the virus.
• No specific vector could be conclusively implicated then.

Why does the Chandipura virus outbreak response matter?

• Public health: Joint teams speed up investigation and response.
• One Health: Animal reservoirs and vectors are studied with human cases.

What can Prelims ask on the Chandipura virus outbreak response?

• Chandipura virus: sandflies are the established vector.
• NJORT: NCDC + ICMR + DAHD.
• Disease surveillance: IDSP, coordinated by NCDC.
• GBRC, Gandhinagar: genome sequencing.