In Karnataka, there are currently 103 active cases and two fatalities attributed to Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as monkey fever. The total reported cases stand at approximately 200, with the majority clustered in three districts: Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada, and Chikkamagaluru.
In response to this situation, a high-level meeting was convened in the state on February 19th to strategize on addressing the issue.
Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stated to news agency ANI, “We just had a meeting with all the elected representatives and officers to see that we are well prepared and further deaths don’t take place. We should be able to bring it under control.”
KFD is a zoonotic infection transmitted by ticks primarily found in animals, particularly primates. It was first identified in Karnataka’s forest regions in the 1950s and has since recurred periodically due to the close interaction between humans and animals in these areas.
The disease is caused by the Kyasanur Forest Disease virus (KFDV), belonging to the Flaviviridae family, and was first isolated in 1957 from a sick monkey in the Kyasanur Forest. Transmission to humans mainly occurs through tick bites or contact with infected animals, particularly sick or recently deceased monkeys. There is currently no evidence of person-to-person transmission of the virus.
