Seven confirmed cases of the Chandipura virus (CHPV) have been detected in the state, while the suspected cases across various districts rose to 58, the Gujarat government said Friday. It has also reported 20 deaths of suspected patients in the state, so far.
According to the medical bulletin of the state government, seven positive CHPV cases have been confirmed, including one each in Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Panchmahal, Morbi and Vadodara districts and two in Mehsana. Of these, the cases from Aravalli and Vadodara have succumbed to the infection, while the government has not clarified on the status of the rest five patients.
On Friday, Vadodara reported the district’s first confirmed case of CHPV in a deceased six-year-old boy from Savli who had passed away on July 1 at SSG Hospital within 10 hours of developing convulsions. The Manipura village resident was brought to the hospital in the early hours of July 1 with complaints of high-grade fever, convulsions and unconsciousness.
Vadodara Chief District Health Officer (CDHO) Minaxi Chauhan confirmed that the health teams have begun a drive in Manipura village. “I am visiting the village today (Friday). The health teams had arrived in the village late on Thursday evening and we have randomly collected samples of children in the village and also begun a health survey in the neighbourhood of the boy who passed away on July 1. We only learnt about the case now as the NIV has reported the case as a positive CHPV case,” she said, adding that currently, “no other suspected cases are admitted to any hospital from Vadodara district”.
However, according to data shared by SSG Hospital, as of Friday afternoon, the hospital has seen 11 suspected CHPV cases so far, in addition to the six-year-old deceased boy, who tested positive.
Seven suspected cases continue to be admitted, of which, five are in the PICU. The hospital has also sent five samples for CHPV tests to the Gandhinagar laboratory Friday.
In addition to the six-year-old, SSG Hospital has reported four other child deaths due to suspected CHPV from July 1. Those who succumbed to the infection include three — a six-year-old boy and two four-year-old girls who died on July 14 and July 17 respectively — from Panchmahal, and a three-year-old boy from Devgadh Bariya in Dahod who passed away on July 16. Dr Aiyer said the hospital has sent samples of all the deceased patients to NIV Pune as per norms.
SSG Medical Superintendent Dr Ranjan Aiyer told The Indian Express that the hospital has sent the samples of all the deceased patients to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune as per norms. SSG has seen 12 admissions with suspected CHPV cases so far.
“We had sent the sample of the deceased boy from Savli, who has now tested positive, to NIV on July 2 after clinically diagnosing the case as that of acute encephalitis. A rapidly deteriorating (condition) not fitting into typical meningitis or bacterial meningitis or any commonly diagnosed condition… The course, the symptoms make for a good medical suspect. We had collected his samples after his death although there was no government notification (for CHPV) at that time,” he said.
“The characteristic of acute viral encephalitis and CHPV is that it progresses rapidly by affecting the neurological system, causing brain edema, that keeps on increasing to a point where the child needs a ventilator,” Dr Aiyer added.
SSG has also reported that it has discharged two other suspected CHPV cases, whose samples tested negative at NIV Pune. These include a three-year-old girl from Kachhel village and a five-year-old from Damaniya village — both in Chhota Udepur district. While the three-year-old was admitted on June 26 and dischargindian exoped on July 17, the five-year-old was admitted on July 7 and discharged on July 17.
Meanwhile, state Health Minister Rushikesh Patel Friday visited the Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS) Hospital at Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha to meet suspected CHPV patients. Fourteen suspected cases have been recorded in the district, of which, two are from Rajasthan. Six deaths from suspected CHPV infection have been recorded in the district.
Patel, during his visit to Sabarkantha, directed the district authorities to continue the activities of malathion dusting as well as precautionary steps in the rural areas while also ensuring that any cases with CHPV symptoms should be given “immediate medical attention”, a state government release stated.
Various district health teams have so far completed the malathion dusting drive in 4,340 homes and completed the surveillance of 87,486 people.
[ad_2]
Source link
