The Forest Department, in association with the Health and Animal Husbandry departments, has intensified measures to prevent further spread of Kyasanur Forest Disease in the district in the wake of a report on the possibility of a larger outbreak of the disease. “We have constituted a special team comprising officials of the three departments to monitor monkey deaths in forest areas,” P. Dhaneshkumar, warden-in-charge, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, said on Wednesday. Once a monkey death is reported, the team disinfects the area. The carcass is handed over to veterinary experts to identify the cause of death, he said. Close to 700 frontline forest staff in the district have been vaccinated.
