Karnataka’s first case of Kyasanur forest disease this year detected in Chikkamagaluru

Dr K H Manjunath, district surveillance officer, said, “The affected person is a plantation worker who had a fever. His test report confirmed KFD. He was treated at the government hospital and has been discharged.”

KFD is a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. It was first identified in 1957, when an illness was reported in monkeys in the Kyasanur forest area of Shivamogga district. Initially limited to the district’s three taluks (Sagar, Shikaripur and Sorab), the disease later spread to Uttar Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Chikkamagaluru districts.

In December 2022, the health department issued a circular in which the health officers of Shivamogga, Uttar Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Chikkamagaluru districts were directed to conduct house-to-house surveys.

“No case with fever in the KFD-affected areas should be missed and hence all field staff should be oriented about the importance of identification of fever cases and collection of samples from such cases should be established. A mechanism needs to be in place to transport KFD samples to the laboratory without any delay. Hence a dedicated vehicle to transport KFD samples to the VDL (virus diagnostic lab) in Shivamogga daily from the KFD-affected areas should be arranged. Testing of KFD samples should be done on priority and samples should be processed within 24 hours from the time of collection,” the circular said.