New Delhi, Aug. 9 -- A fresh outbreak of Chandipura virus-linked acute encephalitis in Gujarat and Rajasthan has raised concern, particularly because children account for most of the affected cases and the illness can progress rapidly.

According to Gujarat health authorities, 35 cases have been confirmed among 184 suspected patients tested, while 22 children below the age of 15 have died. Rajasthan has also reported three confirmed cases from the border districts of Dungarpur and Sirohi, according to reports.

The virus is not new to India. It was first identified in 1965 in Chandipura village in Maharashtra, from where it gets its name. Since then, outbreaks have been reported in parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and neighbo...