At least 38 people, mostly children and teenagers, have been killed since early June 2024. The worst outbreak of Chandipora virus in India over 20 years.
This rod-shaped pathogen is a member of the rabies virus family that causes it. Encephalitis – Inflammation and swelling of the brain. And it’s spread Primarily by sandflies, but mosquitoes and ticks may also spread it.
Initial symptoms are flu-like, but can progress rapidly (inside 24 to 48 hours) to encephalitis, coma, and death. Children under the age of 15 are most in danger.
How the virus enters the central nervous system and causes encephalitis just isn’t well understood. It has been suggested that when an infected insect bites an individual to feed on its blood, it releases its saliva containing the virus.
The virus then spreads through the person's blood and Affects immune cells. called monocytes (a kind of white blood cell), where it replicates, undetected by the immune system. The virus then reaches the central nervous system and breaks through the protective blood-brain barrier to enter the brain.
Six hours after the person is infected, Chandipora virus secretes a protein called phosphoprotein contained in the brain cells and this could be the reason. It causes death so quickly.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any antiviral drugs available to treat people infected with the Chandipora virus. And there isn’t any vaccine.
A reasonably recent problem, on account of climate change
Chandipora virus is called after the village in Maharashtra, India, where it was first identified in 1965. But the primary major outbreak didn’t occur until 2003 in Andhra Pradesh (a state in southern India) where 329 children Of these, 183 tested positive for the virus with deaths. And in 2005, an outbreak occurred in Gujarat (a northwestern state) with 26 cases and a high Mortality rate 78%.
The latest epidemic, the more affected. 100 people In Gujarat, children under 15 years of age were particularly heavily affected. The rapid spread of the virus and the severity of symptoms have raised concerns. Public health authorities.
Since the virus was first discovered in India in 1965, most cases are confined to the Indian subcontinent. However, the geographical distribution of the virus extends beyond India. I discovered it in sandflies West Africa in 1991 and 1992and I Hedgehogs in Senegal (1990-96). Antibodies to Chandipora virus have also been found. Wild monkey 1993 in Sri Lanka
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The emergence of Chandipora virus in India is probably going on account of climate change and its spread. Facilitated by warm temperatures.
There are many diseases spread by insects. Increased in recent years As a results of climate change. For example, this summer, numerous cases of mosquito-borne viruses were reported in India. Including Zika, Dengue And Nipah.