Study confirms presence of Kyasanur forest disease in 2 more Karnataka districts

Mortality rate about 2–10%; virus has spread along entire stretch of Western Ghats, including Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Goa.

Researchers have said that in spite of vaccination, KFD positivity is expanding along the entire Western Ghats. (Representational Photo)

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

Although Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) has long been endemic to many Karnataka districts, 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 virus causing the disease in two more districts of the state—Hassan and Mysore.

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. The reported mortality rate is about 2–10 per cent 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.

Researchers have said that in spite of vaccination, KFD positivity is expanding along the entire Western Ghats. Considering the findings of the current KFD vaccine acceptance and efficacy studies, the development of newer potential vaccines is the need of the hour, Dr Pragya Yadav, scientist ‘F’ and group leader at the Maximum Containment Facility of the ICMR-NIV and one of the study’s authors, said in the report.

While efforts have been taken as ICMR- NIV Pune has created a KFD network that covers 11 labs across the Western Ghats for the diagnosis of the virus, ICMR scientist Ashok Munivenkatappa, who is also the study’s lead author, pointed out, “The transmission cycle is well evident, but implementing the control measures is of great challenge. However, educating the locals about the disease and using effective tick repellents should be considered seriously.”

The study—published in the Infectious Diseases journal recently—says that a comparative analysis of KFDV infection among the KFD-vaccinated and unvaccinated populations demonstrated an insignificant difference. Earlier studies from Karnataka reported the presence of the virus mainly in five districts. Although there is much evidence from outbreak reports and cross-sectional studies, detailed information involving epidemiological studies is still missing. The present study describes clinical features, laboratory diagnosis, and outcomes of confirmed KFD cases, along with monkey and tick surveillance in Karnataka during 2018–2019.

In 1957, KFD was first reported from Shivamogga. Since the first report, the disease was reported only from the district for about 17 years, until 1973. Subsequently, KFD cases were reported from Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada for the next six years. Until 2012, sporadic cases of KFD were reported from the Shivamogga, Uttara Kannada, Chikmagalur, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Chamarajanagar districts of Karnataka. From 2012 onwards, KFD was confirmed from the Nilgiris and Wayanad districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, respectively. During 2016–2017, KFD was reported in Maharashtra and Goa.

Story continues below this ad

Researchers collected 1,955 clinical samples of KFD-suspected human cases from 14 districts between December 2018 and June 2019. Of them, KFD infections were confirmed from 13 talukas of seven districts—Khanapur taluk in Belgavi district, Cheeluru in Hassan, Mysore and H D Kote in Mysore, Bhadravathi, Sagara, Shivamogga, Soraba and Thirthahalli in Shivamogga, Kundapura in Udupi, and Bhatkala, Honnavar and Siddapura from Uttara Kannada district. Of all, 173 (8.8 per cent) cases tested positive for KFD from seven districts. Shivamogga and Hassan districts reported KFD viral RNA positivity in humans, monkeys and ticks.

Among KFD-confirmed cases, it was observed that males and females are equally affected in the 20-40 year age group. However, males were predominantly affected in the paediatric and elderly age groups. Among confirmed cases, agriculture (153) was a major occupation, followed by students (14). Fever was the predominant symptom that was reported among 161 confirmed cases, followed by conjunctivitis (58) and myalgia (56). Among the 173 laboratory-confirmed cases, 80 were vaccinated and 93 were not.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Tags:
Karnataka