New Delhi, August 5: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has deployed the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to Gujarat and Rajasthan to combat the outbreak of Chandipura Virus Disease (CHPV).
This deployment is part of a coordinated integrated disease surveillance program (IDSP), which includes ongoing and intensive scientific investigations from leading research institutions across the country, along with support from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) state surveillance units.
The objective of these coordinated efforts is to enhance knowledge about the virus, including its transmission dynamics, clinical spectrum, epidemiology, and potential treatment methods, while also guiding evidence-based public health interventions. The NCDC’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) has also been activated to support the NJORT.
The multidisciplinary NJORT team, formed with experts from the NCDC, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), will assist state governments in outbreak investigation, epidemiological assessment, clinical management, laboratory coordination, vector monitoring, and implementation of public health measures. This team will work closely with state health departments to review ground-level responses and will present recommendations to the ministry after completing their field assessments.
This deployment comes amid one of the most extensive scientific investigations into the Chandipura virus in recent years. Experts from the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology in Chennai, ICMR-National Vector Control Research Institute in Puducherry, ICMR-National Virology Institute in Pune, ICMR-National Preclinical Research Institute in Hyderabad, and ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics in Bengaluru are collaborating with the Gujarat state health department to investigate the disease associated with this virus.
This collaborative effort brings together specialists in epidemiology, virology, entomology, veterinary science, and laboratory diagnostics to understand the complete clinical spectrum of Chandipura virus infection—from mild fever to acute encephalitis syndrome (AES)—and generate evidence to strengthen public health interventions.
Active surveillance of patients suffering from acute febrile illness (AFI) and AES has been intensified in affected districts. Community-based serosurveys are being conducted to estimate asymptomatic infections and assess the actual extent of virus transmission. Laboratory teams are also working to strengthen diagnostic testing and develop better animal models to enhance understanding of the disease’s pathogenesis.
The primary aim of the investigation is to understand the virus’s transmission cycle. While sandflies are considered the main vectors for the Chandipura virus, scientists are also exploring whether other arthropods, such as mosquitoes and midges, may play a role in its transmission. A large number of vector samples collected from affected areas are being analyzed in laboratories. Officials have emphasized that it would be premature to identify the responsible vector for the current outbreak until scientific investigations are complete.
The scope of animal surveillance has also been expanded to determine if the virus is spreading among domestic animals that could potentially act as carriers. Blood samples from cows, buffaloes, and goats, along with milk samples, have been collected for testing. So far, approximately 70 blood samples from animals have been collected, and they are being analyzed for the Chandipura virus and other related pathogens. Officials have clarified that no conclusions can be drawn until laboratory investigations are completed.
Current investigations are also utilizing lessons learned from the Chandipura virus outbreak in Gujarat in 2024. During that outbreak, several vector species, including sandflies, were collected and tested, but CHPV was not found in all samples, and no specific vector could be conclusively blamed.
Scientists are closely examining whether there have been any genetic changes in the virus. Complete genome sequencing of virus samples obtained from the current outbreak is being conducted at the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) in Gandhinagar. Preliminary analyses have revealed minor genetic variations, but experts state that extensive comparative genomic studies are necessary before determining whether the currently circulating virus has evolved from strains associated with previous outbreaks.
Supporting the growing scientific evidence, researchers from ICMR-NIV in Pune recently published a research paper titled “Investigation of Chandipura Virus Encephalitis Outbreak, Gujarat, India, 2024,” in collaboration with ICMR-Rajendra Memorial National Institute of Health Research in Patna, B.J. Medical College in Ahmedabad, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and the Health and Family Welfare Department of the Gujarat government. This paper documents the multidisciplinary investigations conducted during last year’s outbreak.
Current investigations are also supported by India’s hospital-based acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) surveillance network, which is a multicentric prospective surveillance program spread across 15 tertiary care hospitals nationwide. Utilizing standardized clinical protocols, serological and molecular diagnostics, and selective next-generation sequencing, this network aims to enhance the understanding and management of AES cases across the country.
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