Health authorities on Saturday confirmed the Chandipura virus, a microbe that spreads through the bites of sandflies and ticks, in samples from nine children with acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in Gujarat, of whom five have died.

The Union health ministry said the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, had confirmed the Chandipura virus infection in nine samples among 76 tested.

The Chandipura virus is known to cause sporadic cases and outbreaks especially during the monsoon season. The virus can cause an influenza-like illness that can progress to encephalitis or life-threatening inflammation of tissues in the brain.

Since June, authorities have documented 75 cases of AES in children aged below 15 years in Gujarat, two in Rajasthan and one in Madhya Pradesh, the health ministry said on Saturday after a meeting called by Atul Goel, the director-general of health services. A Central team of epidemiologists and surveillance experts is being deployed to help Gujarat.