Maharashtra on alert after Chandipura virus outbreak in Gujarat

The state public health department issued an alert on Friday after an outbreak of Chandipura virus in neighbouring Gujarat has left 16 people dead and 50 cases of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) reported.

Dr Radhakishan Pawar, joint director of health services, who heads the state's vector-borne disease control programme, had issued an advisory on July 19 to all municipal corporations, zilla parishads, civil surgeons, district health officers and malaria officers in the state.

All officials have been directed to intensify integrated epidemiological, environmental and entomological surveillance and research. Officials have also been asked to identify villages and areas with sensitive sandflies in Chandipura and carry out door-to-door spraying of insecticides, the advisory said.

The virus is spread by female sandflies, which thrive in large numbers during the early monsoon season. Chandipura infections cause encephalitis, which is inflammation or swelling of brain tissue. Typical symptoms include sudden onset of fever, vomiting, altered mental status, convulsions, diarrhea, neurological disorders and signs of meningeal irritation.

Dr Pawar said with sporadic cases reported in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and high mortality among children under 15 years of age, it was urgent that immediate preventive measures be taken to prevent the disease from spreading in the states.

“I request all officials to conduct regular surveys in vulnerable villages of Chandipura which have been identified in the last few years. These steps should be implemented immediately in all vulnerable districts of the state,” he said.

The advisory recommended that any child below the age of 15 years who shows symptoms like sudden onset of fever, behavioural changes, convulsions, fainting etc should be immediately referred to the nearest primary health centre, rural or district hospital. Further, blood samples of such patients should be tested for dengue, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Chandipura to ensure a definitive diagnosis.

The advisory said information on patients showing symptoms of vector-borne diseases (Chandipura fever, dengue fever, chikungunya, AES and Japanese encephalitis) should be promptly entered into the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal.

“Cleanliness should be maintained in these areas and dung and urine should be disposed of away from residential areas. Door-to-door spraying should also be carried out in addition to spraying insecticides in the affected villages and within a five-km radius. It is also recommended to spray insecticides inside and outside cow sheds and cover the walls up to four feet,” a senior health department official said.

Dr Pawar further informed that he has asked all districts and health facilities to ensure sufficient stock of medicines in all primary health centres, district hospitals and district hospitals to treat patients from Chandipura.

“Additional medicines should be arranged where necessary. Detailed training should be provided to doctors in all hospitals with the help of experts from medical universities on treating encephalitis patients. Also, information, education and communication (IEC) activities should be carried out to inform the public about the disease, the importance of prompt hospitalization and measures to prevent the disease and related deaths,” he said.

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