Chandipura virus outbreak kills 22 children in Gujarat, Rajasthan

A virus called Chandipura virus is making some children very sick in parts of India.

The virus was first found in 1965 in a village in Maharashtra called Chandipura.

It mostly spreads when a tiny insect called a sandfly bites a person.

The sickness does not spread from one person to another.

When someone gets sick, they may have a fever, a very bad headache, vomiting, and feeling very tired.

Sometimes the sickness affects the brain, and that can be very dangerous.

The illness can get worse very quickly, sometimes within hours or a few days.

There is no vaccine or special medicine to cure it yet.

Doctors can only help sick children by caring for them and treating their symptoms.

That is why protecting children from sandfly bites is very important.