Total 148 cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, 59 deaths

The Union Health Ministry on Thursday said that 148 cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome have been reported in the country since June, and 59 patients have died. The ministry said that Chandipura virus (CHPV) has been confirmed in 51 cases.

Total 140 AES cases have been reported from 24 districts of Gujarat, four from Madhya Pradesh, three from Rajasthan and one from Maharashtra till July 31. The ministry said that since early June, Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) cases have been reported from Gujarat in children under 15 years of age.

In a statement, the health ministry said the situation was reviewed on Thursday jointly by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) and Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and DG Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Regional offices of Health and Family Welfare of Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

“A declining trend of the daily reported new cases of AES is evident since 19th July 2024,” it said. Gujarat has undertaken various public health measures such as insecticidal spray for vector control, IEC, sensitization of medical personnel and timely referral of cases to designated facilities, it stated.

A National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) has been deployed to assist the Gujarat government in undertaking public health measures and for conducting a detailed epidemiological investigation into the outbreak. A joint advisory from NCDC and the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) is being issued to guide the neighbouring states reporting AES cases.

The ministry stated that 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. Vector control, hygiene and awareness are the only measures available against the disease.

The disease affects mostly children under 15 years of age and can present with a febrile illness that may progress to convulsions, coma and in some cases, may result in death. Although there is no specific treatment available for CHPV and management is symptomatic, timely referral of suspected AES cases to designated facilities can improve outcomes.