Kyasanur forest disease

• A study by the Indian Council for Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology has for the first time confirmed the presence of the Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) virus in two more districts of the state—Hassan and Mysore.
• KFD is endemic in Karnataka.
• In 1957, KFD was first reported from Shivamogga.

ABOUT KFD

• KFD is a zoonotic disease.
• Kyasanur forest disease virus (KFDV) is transmitted through the bite of ticks and bonnet, and black-faced langur monkeys are highly susceptible to the infection.
  • They play a significant role in the spread of the virus in the human population.
• KFDV has been mainly found to affect humans in the forests of the Western Ghats region, with considerable morbidity.
• The disease manifests with an acute and a convalescent phase lasting for four weeks.
• In about 10-20 per cent of individuals, it may manifest with haemorrhagic or neurological complications.
• Reported mortality rate is about 2–10% and in recent years, KFDV has spread along the entire stretch of the Western Ghats region, which also includes Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Goa.