The Centre has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) to Gujarat and Rajasthan to strengthen the response to the ongoing Chandipura Virus Disease (CHPV) outbreak. The deployment comes against the backdrop of sustained and intensified scientific investigations by a nationwide network of premier research institutions, alongside continuous disease surveillance under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).
The Health and Family Welfare Ministry said that multidisciplinary National Joint Outbreak Response Team comprises experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD).
The Ministry said that Joint Outbreak Response team will supplement the efforts of the two State governments in outbreak investigation, epidemiological assessment, clinical management, laboratory coordination, vector surveillance and implementation of public health measures. The team will work closely with State health departments to review the on-ground response and submit recommendations to the Ministry after completing its field assessment.
The Ministry said that that a key focus of the investigation is to unravel the virus transmission cycle. It said that while sandflies are the established vectors of Chandipura virus, scientists are also examining whether other arthropods-including mosquitoes, ticks and mites-may have a role in transmission.
The Ministry said that the ongoing investigations are also drawing upon lessons from the 2024 Chandipura virus outbreak in Gujarat. CHPV is a member of Rhabdoviridae family and known to cause sporadic cases and outbreaks in western, central and southern parts of the Country especially during the monsoon season. It is transmitted by vectors such as sand flies and ticks. The disease affects mostly children under 15 years of age and can be present with a febrile illness that may in some cases result in death.
