Indian state of Gujarat, health officials report 48 deaths from acute encephalitis syndrome in the past month, with many cases linked to an outbreak of the Chandipura virus (CHPV). This marks the most severe outbreak in recent decades.
Chandipura virus, an emerging tropical pathogen, has a high mortality rate among children under fifteen. There is no standardized treatment or antiviral therapy due to limited understanding of its interaction with the host. However, laboratory studies suggest that ribavirin, vesiculopolins, and favipiravir may inhibit the virus's growth.
First discovered during an acute febrile outbreak in Nagpur, India, in 1964–1965, CHPV was later isolated in 1980 from patients with encephalopathy. The virus belongs to the Vesiculovirus genus within the Rhabdoviridae family, which includes the rabies virus.
CHPV is primarily transmitted by sandflies and mosquitoes, including the Aedes aegypti species. It is considered the most significant vesiculovirus due to its high fatality rate, ranging from 55% to 77%. The virus has been recorded in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and parts of Africa.
During non-outbreak periods, the virus is believed to persist in nature through sandflies. Although no other vertebrate hosts have been found in endemic areas of India, CHPV has been isolated from hedgehogs in Senegal, and macaques in Sri Lanka have shown antibodies against it.
Symptoms of CHPV infection include fever, convulsions, vomiting, and neurological issues, which can quickly progress to encephalitis, coma, and death. Children under 15 are particularly vulnerable. Previous outbreaks have shown a high mortality rate, such as the 2003 outbreak in Andhra Pradesh, which claimed 183 lives, mostly children under 12, and the 2005 outbreak in Gujarat with a 78% mortality rate.
The exact mechanism of the virus remains unclear, though it is suspected to cause neurodegeneration and neuronal death.
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