Two children from Vinzol and Jitpura villages in Godhra taluka have died after testing positive for the Chandipura virus. Laboratory tests confirmed the infections, while health teams detected sand flies in the affected areas, triggering intensive insecticide spraying in and around homes.
State Health Minister Prafullbhai Pansheriya said a review meeting was held in Gandhinagar, following which surveillance across Panchmahal district was intensified. Special medical teams from Godhra and Vadodara medical colleges have been deployed, and door-to-door surveys and health screenings are being carried out.
As a precaution, the health department has also completed surveys in villages and districts where Chandipura virus cases were reported in 2024. Officials said all health centres have been stocked with essential medicines and insecticidal powder.
Pansheriya appealed to parents to immediately take children to the nearest health centre if they develop symptoms such as fever, vomiting, seizures or loss of consciousness.
Health officials said no Chandipura virus cases have been reported outside the two affected villages so far. They urged residents not to panic but to remain vigilant by sealing cracks in mud houses, maintaining cleanliness around their homes, and protecting children from mosquito and sand fly bites.