Shimoga(Karnataka): The summer months are a concern for the Health Department in Karnataka every year as Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as monkey fever, a viral disease transmitted to humans through a tick species usually found on monkeys, rears its head.
From 1956 itself Malenadu people face the problem of KFD, However, the disease is under control and not a single case has been reported in Shimoga from November 20220 to February 2121 due to the efforts of health department.
Kyasanur Monkey Disease (KFD) endemic to the Western Ghats of the State transmitted by ticks to humans, has seen a significant reduction both in the number of persons affected by the disease by 36 per cent and the mortality rate from the previous year by 65 per cent. As many as 445 affected cases were reported in 2019 to 287 till August first week while the mortality rate has also dropped from 15 deaths the previous year to 5 this year in the districts of Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, and Uttara Kannada.
Kyasanur Forest Disease also known as Monkey Fever has been around for about 70 years and the first-ever case of Monkey Fever was reported in 1956 in Kyasunuru of Sagara taluk and the vaccination was developed to fight the disease in the 1990s and since then continuous efforts have been done to keep the disease at bay.
Hemyphysalis ticks are widely spread in Western Ghats taluks of Theerthalli and Sagara in Shivamogga and are carriers of the virus. When these virus carrier ticks from Macaca Radiata and Hanuman Langurs, two species of monkeys are susceptible to the carry these ticks bite humans, the infected persons suffer from fever, vomiting and later on leading to health complications eventually to his death.
The KFD, which usually begins in December and at its highest in March-April. In the third week of November 2018-19, the highest death rate was recorded. There were 445 cases reported in the entire state that year, of which 15 died. At least 12 people were killed in the village of Alagogoodu in Shimoga. After KFD Spikes in Sagara during 2018-19, the Health department again concentrated on Vaccination.
In 2019-20, 285 people were infected with the KFD virus and five people died among it. However, there were no cases have been found until the first week of February this year.
What is Monkey Fever or Kyasanur forest disease?
Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) is a tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever endemic to South Asia. The disease was first reported from the Kyasanur forest of Sagar Taluk in the Shivamogga district of Karnataka in 1956.
KFD outbreak then was among monkeys, killing several of them. Hence, the disease is locally known as 'monkey fever'. It is caused by a virus belonging to the family Flaviviridae.
The disease is carried by ticks, rodents, birds, etc and it affects monkeys and human beings. It is a vector-borne disease. KFD is common in states like Goa, Karnataka (in Shimoga), and Kerala (in Wayanad and Malappuram). It was also reported from parts of Bandipur National Park (Chamarajnagar) and parts of the Nilgiris. The disease mostly occurs between November to March.
Symptoms of KFD:
High fever
Bleeding from the nasal cavity, throat, and gums
Continuos Fever for 8-10 days
Headache
Muscle aches
Severe Weakness
How Humans contract Kyasanur forest disease?
The virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of nymphs of the tick or when humans come into contact with an infected animal.
