Pune Chikungunya's study found concerning effects on children, with one infant requiring a liver transplant

Pune: There were complications related to complications seen in children during the Chikungunya outbreak last year. This could be the first documented case of a patient who needs a new liver to recover.
The Chikungunya outbreak in 2024 was one of the worst in Maharashtra. Within 11 months, more than 5,000 people in the state were sick. Pune is one of the hotspot cities and recorded 462 confirmed cases.
Currently, in a recently published study of 117 children admitted between June and September 2024 (during the monsoon), doctors from three urban hospitals say that the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is likely to cause potentially life-threatening complications, leading to life-threatening complications beyond fever and joint pain. All 117 children recovered, but 36 needed ICU admission.
“These children presented serious neurological problems, difficulty breathing, and even organ failure requiring intensive care,” said neonatologists and pediatric intensive medicine at Jehangir Hospital and Sahiyadri Hospital (Shastrinagar), as well as one of the authors of the study. The study, recently published in the Journal of Pediatric Cratical Care, was conducted by physicians at Jehangir Hospital, Sahyadri Hospital and Shaishav Children's Hospital in Sadashiv Peth.
Dr. Lad said: “One infant required a liver transplant to survive. To our knowledge, this was the most abnormal complication of infection and caused dramatic liver failure.
Two children also developed hematological glycocyte lymphooxidotypy (HLH), a rare and potentially fatal immune disorder. Six children were in shock that required urgent cardiovascular support, the researchers said.
Additionally, Dr. LAD said that over half of children in ICU (56%) experienced seizures and several developmental state epilepsy.
The doctor said this meant that some of Chikungunya's children had not only normal seizures but also more severe and persistent seizures that required urgent medical intervention. This study specifically mentioned both epilepticus and RSE (resistance-resistant epilepticus) conditions among the neurological complications observed in 117 children. RSE is an even more serious posture epileptic worm that does not respond to standard anti-seizure drugs.
Such severe symptoms may be related to genetic changes in the virus, allowing it to multiply more quickly and cause even more complex health problems than fever.
“The findings suggest that they are often rejected as less dangerous than dengue, and may have evolved into a more serious threat to public health,” Dr. Lad said, adding that doctors should remain vigilant about atypical presentations, especially during outbreaks.
Other physicians involved in this study included Dr. Pradeep Suryawanshi of Sahyadri Hospital and Dr. Ashish Dhongade of Shaishav Children's Hospital.