📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Gianluca Miscione
Health
Gujarat records nearly 30 deaths as Chandipura virus outbreak spreads, Mumbai on alert
✍️ Mid-Day
🗓 23 Aug 2026, 11:33 AM
👁 5
Gujarat health officials have confirmed nearly 30 fatalities linked to a Chandipura virus outbreak, prompting Mumbai authorities to heighten surveillance.
Gujarat's health department has reported that the Chandipura virus has claimed close to 30 lives across the state, marking a serious public‑health emergency. The deaths were confirmed in multiple districts where the virus, known for causing acute encephalitis, was detected in recent weeks.
State officials have launched an intensive containment drive, deploying rapid response teams to affected villages, setting up isolation wards, and distributing antiviral medication where available. Public awareness campaigns are underway to educate residents about preventive measures, including vector control and early symptom reporting.
In response to the outbreak, Mumbai's municipal health authority has placed the city on heightened alert, stepping up fever surveillance at hospitals and clinics and preparing additional isolation facilities should cases emerge. The city is also coordinating with the central Ministry of Health to monitor any potential spread.
The central health ministry has urged all states to report suspected cases promptly and has pledged to dispatch additional medical supplies to Gujarat to support the ongoing response.
State officials have launched an intensive containment drive, deploying rapid response teams to affected villages, setting up isolation wards, and distributing antiviral medication where available. Public awareness campaigns are underway to educate residents about preventive measures, including vector control and early symptom reporting.
In response to the outbreak, Mumbai's municipal health authority has placed the city on heightened alert, stepping up fever surveillance at hospitals and clinics and preparing additional isolation facilities should cases emerge. The city is also coordinating with the central Ministry of Health to monitor any potential spread.
The central health ministry has urged all states to report suspected cases promptly and has pledged to dispatch additional medical supplies to Gujarat to support the ongoing response.