Emergence of Chandipura viral encephalitis in India - a strategic approach to combat a fatal viral epidemic

Sep 29, 2026

Vector-borne viral encephalitis remains a major global public health challenge as multiple drivers—climate change, urbanization, land development, trade globalization, intercontinental travel, and ecological disruption—promote viral emergence. Chandipura virus encephalitis (CHPVE) is an acute febrile illness with high case fatality. First identified in 1965 in Maharashtra, it expanded within India and later spread internationally. CHPVE is caused by Chandipura virus (CHPV) of the Vesiculovirus genus, a neurotropic pathogen linked to rabies-like disease biology.

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CategoryHealthcare

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Highlights

Introduction

Background and emergence

Geographic spread and drivers

Virology and disease burden

Abstract

Review Emergence of Chandipura viral encephalitis in India: a strategic approach to combat a fatal viral epidemic Ganesh N. Aderao, PhDa , K. C. Nikhil, PhDa ,*, Soumajit Sarkar, PhDa , Shailesh Kumar Patel, PhDb , K. K. Kanaka, PhDa , Vrushali S. Mhaske, MVScc , Amit Kumar, MVSca , Talha Bin Emran, PhDd ,* Abstract Vector-borne viral encephalitis is currently a significant public health concern worldwide. Factors such as climate change, urbanization, rapid land development, globalization of trade, increased intercontinental travel, and ecological disruptions are contributing to the emergence of many viral diseases. Chandipura virus encephalitis (CHPVE) is one of the prominent emerging viral diseases, quickly becoming a serious health threat. CHPVE is an acute, febrile viral illness with a high-case fatality rate. The disease was first identified in 1965 in Chandipura, Nagpur district of Maharashtra, during an outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases such as Dengue and Chikungunya. Initially, the outbreak was confined to Maharashtra, but it later spread to neighbouring states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. Two decades after its initial case in Maharashtra, the disease has now been spread to other countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, West Africa, and Sri Lanka. As the name suggests, CHPVE is caused by the Chandipura virus (CHPV), belonging to the Vesiculovirus genus of the Rhabdoviridae family, responsible for the incidence of well-known neurotrophic disease, i.e. , Rabies. Keywords: epidemic, Indian subcontinent, vector borne encephalitis, viral encephalitis, zoonoses Introduction Vector-borne viral encephalitis is currently a significant public health concern worldwide. Factors such as climate change, urbanization, rapid land development, globalization of trade, increased intercontinental travel, and ecological disruptions are contributing to the emergence of many viral diseases. Chandipura virus encephalitis (CHPVE) is one of the prominent re-emerging viral diseases, quickly becoming a serious health threat[1,2] . CHPVE is an acute, febrile viral illness with a high case fatality aICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India, bDepartment of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, NDVSU, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India, cVeterinary Dispensary, Kalamb, Ambegaon, Pune, Maharashtra, India and dDepartment of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article. *Corresponding authors. Address: Department of Pharmacy, Faculty ofAllied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh. Tel.: +8801819942214. E-mail: [talhabmb@bgctub.ac.bd](talhabmb@bgctub.ac.bd) (T.B. Emran); School of Basic and Social Sciences, ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi 834003, Jharkhand, [India. E-mail: nikhilkc505@gmail.com](India. E-mail: nikhilkc505@gmail.com); [nikhil.k@icar.org.in](nikhil.k@icar.org.in)[ ](nikhil.k@icar.org.in)(K.C. Nikhil). Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. Annals of Medicine & Surgery (2026) 88:542–547 Received 6 February 2025; Accepted 13 November 2025 Published online 26 November 2025 [http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000004421](http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000004421) HIGHLIGHTS ● Chandipura virus encephalitis (CHPVE) is a re-emerging neurotropic viral disease with frequent outbreaks in India and expanding its geographical r

FAQs

What factors are linked to the emergence of vector-borne viral encephalitis mentioned in the document?

The document cites climate change, urbanization, rapid land development, globalization of trade, increased intercontinental travel, and ecological disruptions as contributing factors.

When and where was Chandipura virus encephalitis first identified?

It was first identified in 1965 in Chandipura, Nagpur district of Maharashtra, during an outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases such as Dengue and Chikungunya.

What causes CHPVE and how is it classified biologically?

CHPVE is caused by the Chandipura virus (CHPV), which belongs to the Vesiculovirus genus of the Rhabdoviridae family and is described as a neurotrophic viral pathogen.

Sep 29, 2026

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