Monkey Fever Scare Grips Bengaluru, Other Parts Of Karnataka After 7 Suspected Deaths Due To Infection

State capital Bangalore and other parts of Karnataka has been put on alert after the outbreak of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as ‘monkey fever’ claimed seven lives in Shivamogga.

According to local media, till now there have been no reports of infections from Bengaluru, but the disease has been confirmed in Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Chikmagalur where over a 50 people are said to have contracted the deadly disease.

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It is feared that the infection could soon reach Bengaluru, which has a large monkey population, frequenting in residential areas.

KFD aka monkey fever is spread from parasite tick living on monkies.?

“Humans can get infected by contact with a sick or recently infected monkey or by a tick bite. The ticks act as vectors after the blood meals (dry, inert powder made from blood) from infected animals. Person to person transmission has not been reported. Domestic animals such as goats, cows may become infected with KFD but play a limited role in the transmission of infection,” Dr Pratik Patil, Consultant, Infectious Diseases at Fortis Hospital told Deccan Chronicle.

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The fatal disease was first reported in India in 1957 in Shivamogga and since then regular seasonal outbreaks have been reported in Karnataka and neighbouring states.

According to doctors, symptoms of monkey fever include high fever, headache, severe muscle pain, vomiting, abdominal pain and bleeding from nasal cavity, throat, and gums.

Monkey fever which has an estimated fatality rate between 2% - 10% does not have any specific treatments.?

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Following the outbreak which caught the health authorities off guard, efforts are being made to identify those infected and educate people about keeping themselves safe.

Samples have been collected from all the areas where suspected cases have been repeated and sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for tests.

The outbreak has also put neighbouring states on notice as there the infection has a history of spreading to parts of Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra from Karnataka.