The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 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 multidisciplinary NJORT comprises experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), and will support outbreak investigation, epidemiological assessment, clinical management, laboratory coordination, vector surveillance, and implementation of public health measures. The NCDC Public Health Emergency Operations Centre has been activated to support the NJORT.
The deployment accompanies one of the most comprehensive scientific investigations for Chandipura virus in recent years, involving experts from ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology (Chennai), ICMR-National Institute of Vector Control Research (Puducherry), ICMR-National Institute of Virology (Pune), ICMR-National Institute for Pre-Clinical Research (Hyderabad), and ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (Bengaluru), working in coordination with the Gujarat State Health Department.
Active surveillance has been intensified among patients presenting with Acute Febrile Illness and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome in affected districts, while community-based serosurveys are being conducted to estimate asymptomatic infections and assess virus transmission extent. Laboratory teams are working to strengthen diagnostic assays and develop improved animal models to understand disease pathogenesis.
A key investigation focus is unraveling the virus transmission cycle, with scientists examining whether arthropods beyond established sandfly vectors—including mosquitoes, ticks, and mites—may have transmission roles. Large numbers of vector samples from affected areas are undergoing laboratory analysis, with officials emphasizing it is premature to identify the responsible vector until investigations complete.
Animal surveillance has expanded to determine if domestic animals act as virus reservoirs, with blood samples from cattle, buffaloes, and goats, along with milk samples, collected for testing. Approximately 70 animal blood samples have been collected and are being analyzed for Chandipura virus and other relevant pathogens.
Whole-genome sequencing of virus samples from the current outbreak is being conducted at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC), Gandhinagar, with preliminary analysis identifying minor genetic variations. Detailed comparative genomic studies are required to determine if the current virus has evolved from previous outbreak strains.
The investigations draw upon lessons from the 2024 Chandipura virus outbreak in Gujarat, where no specific vector could be conclusively implicated despite testing of several vector species. The current efforts are supported by India's Hospital-based Acute Encephalitis Syndrome Surveillance Network, spanning 15 tertiary care hospitals nationwide using standardized clinical protocols and advanced diagnostics.
This coordinated response reflects a 'One Health' approach integrating human, animal, and vector surveillance to understand and contain the Chandipura virus outbreak.