Brain fever became fatal, 59 people died in two months; ICMR warned

59 people died of brain fever in two months

Acute encephalitis syndromeMe: The Union Health Ministry said on Thursday that acute encephalitis syndrome (AEFS) has been reported across the country since June. ,AES, That is, 148 cases of brain fever have been reported and 59 patients have died. The ministry said in a statement that Chandipura virus (CHPV) has been confirmed in 51 cases. According to the statement, till July 31, 140 cases of AES were reported in 24 districts of Gujarat, four in Madhya Pradesh, three in Rajasthan and one in Maharashtra.

The ministry said that since the beginning of June, cases of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) have been reported in children below 15 years of age in Gujarat. Director General of Health Services (DGHS) and the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) The Director of the WHO and the Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the regional offices of Health and Family Welfare of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat jointly reviewed the situation on Thursday.

Children below 15 years of age are getting educated

According to the statement, “There is a clear trend of decline in new cases reported daily for ‘Acute Encephalitis Syndrome’ since 19 July 2024.” The statement said that Gujarat has taken various public health measures for the control of mosquito-borne diseases such as insecticide spray, information, education and communication (IEC), providing disease information to medical personnel and timely referral of cases to designated facilities. According to the statement, a National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) has been deployed to assist the Gujarat state government to take public health measures and conduct a detailed epidemiological investigation of the outbreak.

The statement said that a joint advisory is being issued by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC) to guide neighbouring states reporting AES cases. The ministry said that Chandipura virus (CHPV) is a member of the Rhabdoviridae family, which causes sporadic cases and outbreaks in western, central and southern parts of the country, especially during the monsoon season.

Symptoms of brain fever

The disease mostly affects children under 15 years of age. It can cause fever, which can lead to convulsions, coma and in some cases, even death. However, there is no specific treatment available for Chandipura virus and management is based on symptoms. Timely transfer of suspected cases of acute encephalitis syndrome to hospitals equipped with designated facilities can improve outcomes.