Ahmedabad: Gujarat has recorded seven confirmed cases of Chandipura Viral Encephalitis (CHPV) in six districts, the government said on Friday. Meanwhile, the state also reported 20 deaths in as many as 58 suspected cases.
The state health department in a new bulletin stated that the state has recorded a total of 58 suspected cases in 20 districts and cities across the state.
It said that out of 58 cases, seven have been confirmed to be of CHPV. The confirmed cases of CHPV have been reported, one each from Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Panchmahal, Morbi, Vadodara and two cases in Mehsana.
With eight suspected cases and one death, Sabarkantha district has the highest number of cases where health minister Rushikesh Patel visited on Friday to take stock of the situation.
The state government has been sending the sample of suspected cases to Pune-based National Institute of Virology for conforming CHPV.
Meanwhile, the government said that 87,000 people were screened by health teams as part of preventive measures including dusting 4,340 kuchcha houses with malathion powder, an insecticide, to prevent the spread of the virus.
CHPV is an RNA virus that belongs to the Rhabdoviridae family. It was first detected in 1956 in Chandipura village in Maharashtra. It is transmitted by sandflies and mosquitoes.
The virus largely affects children up to 15 years and its typical symptoms are fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, among others.
Published 19 July 2024, 17:16 IST