5 children die in Rajasthan's Salumbar; viral encephalitis suspected

Salumbar: In a tragic series of events, the deaths of five young children in Rajasthan’s Salumbar district have sparked fears of suspected viral encephalitis and prompted an intensive surveillance and outbreak control operation across affected villages. 

Over the past few days, five children from Ghata and Lalpura villages have reportedly died under what officials described as “mysterious circumstances.” The deceased include a 3-year-old and his younger brother from Lalpura, another 4-year-old from Lalpura, and two children aged 4 and 2 from Ghata village.

Also Read:Karnataka issues guidelines for Sabarimala Pilgrims amid brain-eating amoeba cases

Speaking to the Indian Express, Salumbar District Collector Muhammad Junaid said that the deceased children had common symptoms, including vomiting, unconsciousness, and altered sensorium. “These point to some kind of encephalitis. In the opinion of the team from Udaipur Medical College, it is a suspected case of viral encephalitis. One suspicion is that it could be a variant, ‘Chandipura’ virus, although the final word is awaited from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, where the samples have been sent.”

Family members said the children first developed fever and vomiting, after which they were taken to nearby health centres and then referred to larger hospitals in Dhariyawad, Pratapgarh, and Udaipur. In several cases, the children died while being shifted for treatment, reports NDTV Profit.

According to the news reports, one relative said a child fell ill on March 31 and died on April 1 during referral to Udaipur. Another child developed similar symptoms on April 5 and died en route to treatment. In another case, a child with sudden fever and vomiting died the same evening despite being shifted between hospitals.

Officials noted that the remote location of the villages may have contributed to delays in receiving advanced care. They also said some families initially sought help from unauthorised practitioners, which may have affected outcomes.

The deaths have created widespread panic across the region. In response, the district administration has launched a large-scale door-to-door survey and surveillance drive.

Hundreds of teams have combed through Ghata Gram Panchayat, which has three revenue villages — Ghata (2,504 persons/ 408 families), Lalpura (169 persons/ 29 families), and Karnagarh (667 persons/ 124 families) for a total of 561 families. Six schools, with 659 students, and three Anganwadis, with 144 children, have also been covered by the teams, which have collected various samples. Of the 561 families, 528 families have been surveyed, with 9 blood samples being collected on Wednesday, anti-larval activity being conducted at 51 places, and 20 samples being sent for analysis, reports the Indian Express.

The Medical and Health Department said outbreak control activities have been intensified across the seven districts of the Udaipur division, including Salumbar. According to official data, 6,167 field teams have surveyed over 1.2 lakh households across the division, identifying 1,470 symptomatic individuals. Of these, 924 patients were treated on the spot, while 85 were referred to higher medical facilities for advanced care. Public awareness campaigns have been conducted at over 13,000 locations, alongside anti-larval drives at more than 5,500 sites to curb potential mosquito-borne disease spread.

Also Read:Kerala reports 104 Amoebic meningoencephalitis cases, 23 deaths: Health Minister