New Delhi: Two people from Karnataka have succumbed to Monkey fever this year. The first fatality was reported in Hosanagar taluk of Shivamogga district on January 8 wherein an 18-year-old girl succumbed to the virus. The second fatality was reported at Manipal in Udupi district when a 79-year-old man from Sringeri taluk in Chikkamagaluru died in a private hospital. A total of 49 cases have been reported from the state, news agency PTI reported on Sunday. The maximum number of cases are from Uttara Kannada district followed by Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru district.
“We have taken all precautionary measures and are working in close coordination with the officials of the districts where cases of KFD have been reported to prevent its spread. As of now, there is no vaccination available for the disease, so we need to be extra cautious.
Awareness is being created about the precautionary measures to be taken to prevent the infection from spreading further. The vaccination provided earlier was found ineffective. So, we have approached ICMR for the vaccination,” a senior health official told PTI.
Monkey fever, also known as Kyasanur Forest Disease or KFD is spread through the bites of ticks that survive on monkeys. The disease is named after the forest from which the virus causing the disease was first identified in 1957. Kyasanur forest is in Karnataka state and the virus, which is from the virus family Flaviviridae, was named after the forest as Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV) after it was identified in a sick monkey. “Since then, between 400-500 human cases per year have been reported,” the US CDC says.
Humans also contract the disease by coming in contact with cattle bitten by ticks.
As per the ICAR, Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute situated in North Goa, symptoms of the monkey fever appear 3-8 days after the tick bite. Initially, patients suffer from fever, chills, and frontal headaches. Patients may also experience body pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.
As the disease progresses there may be hemorrhagic manifestations such as blood in the vomitus, sputum, and stools. Most of the patients recover within one to two weeks. However, in some of the patients symptoms may relapse after a brief period of 1-2 weeks which includes severe headache, mental disturbance, tremors, and vision problems.
To avoid tick bites, people are recommended to use insect repellants, if they are entering forests where monkey deaths have been reported. Wear long-sleeved shirts, trousers, and shoes to avoid tick bites.
