Chandipura virus: Death toll rises to 16; Gujarat CM holds high-level review meeting

Ahmedabad: With the number of deaths due to suspected Chandipura virus rising to 16 on Thursday, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel held a high-level review meeting of the measures being taken to control the spread.

So far, 14 districts have reported 33 cases out of which 16 have died, while one of them has been confirmed to be Chandipura vesiculovirus (CHPV).

Speaking to media in the evening, Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said, "There is nothing to be feared about as only one case out of seven samples has been confirmed to be of Chandipura virus. We have deployed the health teams and appealed to everyone not to panic and instead reach the hospital in case of any fever. This virus is not contagious like the coronavirus."

In the review meeting, the chief minister was informed that 260 teams of the health department monitored 56,651 persons in as many as 11,050 households.

In a health bulletin late in the night, the government said that  the state has 30 cases of viral encephalitis including, Sabarkantha 7, Aravalli  4, Mahisagar 1, Kheda 1, Mehsana 2, Rajkot 2, Surendranagar1, Ahmedabad city 2, Gandhinagar 2, Panchmahal 2, Jamnagar 2, Morbi 3 and Gandhinagar city 1. It said that out of these cases one case from Aravalli district has been confirmed as Chandipura virus.

The release stated that out of 30 cases, 15 patients have died while one patient from Rajasthan passed away during treatment. The state has two patients from Rajasthan while one from Madhya Pradesh.