The country’s top virology institute, the National Institute of Virology (NIV), had developed vaccine against the Chandipura virus in 2005, but it found no takers, as the disease didn’t surface for many years, former director of the Pune-based institute told News18.
Currently, Chandipura virus is wreaking havoc in more than a dozen districts of Gujarat, with a death rate of over 50 per cent. The NIV on Wednesday confirmed that a four-year-old girl became the first fatality of the Chandipura virus in Gujarat, with the toll of suspected cases in the state reaching 15 till Thursday evening.
Dr Akhilesh Chandra Mishra, who headed NIV from 2002 to 2012 and managed the major Chandipura virus outbreaks from 2003-2004, told News18 in an exclusive interaction that the institute had successfully developed a vaccine against the virus. However, the virus disappeared for a long time and only reappeared sporadically, leading to a lack of interest from both vaccine manufacturers and the public.
THE OUTBREAK OF 2003-04
During the outbreak in 2003-04, the case fatality rates ranged from 56-75 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The outbreaks were devastating, leading to around 322 child deaths – 183 in Andhra Pradesh, 115 in Maharashtra, and 24 in Gujarat. The virus garnered global attention as it was inflicting high mortality in children within 24 hours of commencement of symptoms.
Prompted by the virus’s aggressiveness, NIV quickly sought a solution in the form of a vaccine.
“We developed the vaccine at NIV in 2005-06, but there were no takers. By that time, the virus had vanished. The Chandipura virus causes sporadic outbreaks, leading to a few cases in isolated areas that create alarm. However, it doesn’t spread widely, as spraying insecticides effectively curbs the disease."
“Hence, the industry was not interested in the vaccine, and the government cannot convince companies unless their profit is ensured."
Mishra said they knew that once the alarm subsided, no one from the population would come forward to take the vaccine. “Therefore, there was no point in trying to convince the manufacturers."
CURRENT OUTBREAK WILL ALSO VANISH SOON, NO REASON TO PANIC
The Chandipura virus leads to brain inflammation and swiftly escalates from flu-like symptoms to coma and death. The virus is primarily carried by female phlebotomine sandfly.
He believes that the current outbreak will also subside soon and there is no reason to cause panic. “Sporadic outbreaks will keep on occurring but these sandflies are very sensitive to insecticides. As soon as the public will get alert and start spraying, the disease will vanish."
The disease belongs to the people hailing from low socio-economic strata of society as these flies breed mostly in the ‘kutcha houses’ or small huts, he said. “Sandflies mostly persist in adivasi areas or villages with kutcha houses."
However, as India progresses, the disease will eventually fade away. “There will come a point when the ecology will no longer support the growth of the Chandipura virus. We are transitioning from kutcha houses to pukka houses. Hence, breeding opportunities in the crevices of these houses will decrease as housing structures, even in remote areas, improve and pucca houses increase."
Recalling his own experience, Mishra said that spraying insecticides in the surrounding areas is more beneficial than developing a vaccine against Chandipura. “This virus will disappear soon, and you never know if it will come back or vanish forever."
Comments
0 comment