Carcass of monkey burnt in Ujire

A highly decomposed carcass of a monkey was burnt in Ujire on Friday as the Health Department personnel could not retrieve any samples for suspected Kyasanur Forest Disease virus infection.

District Health and Family Welfare Officer M. Ramakrishna Rao told The Hindu that local residents sighted the dead monkey and informed the health workers of the area.

The health workers visited the site with a team of experts from the government and the veterinary hospitals.

Dr. Rao said that the monkey appeared to have died five days ago following a fight with other monkeys.

Dr. Rao said that following the opinion of experts, the carcass was burnt. Disinfectant was also sprayed in the area.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rao said, a team of heath workers and doctors has gone around the area to collect ticks. These ticks were sent to Shivamogga for testing. “This will help us find whether virus is prevalent in the area,” he said.

Dr. Rao said that three persons from Shivamogga, who were being treated in different city hospitals for suspected Kyasanur Forest Disease, were found negative. These three were recovering from a viral infection, he added.