Five more monkeys found dead in Udupi district

Five more monkeys were found dead in different parts of Udupi district on Wednesday.

Prashant Bhat, District Nodal Officer for Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), told The Hindu on Wednesday that a monkey each was found dead at Bailoor, Irvathur, Ajekar, Byndoor, and Pethri villages in the district.

The viscera of a dead monkey each from Byndoor and Ajekar had been sent for testing for KFD to both the Viral Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) in Shivamogga and the Manipal Centre for Virus Research (MCVR) in Manipal.

The viscera of two monkeys — which had died earlier at Albady and Kukkundar — that had been sent to VDL and from there to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, have tested positive for KFD virus, Dr. Bhat said. The blood sample of a person from Shankarnarayana, who had got admitted to the District Government Hospital here, and who showed symptoms of KFD, was sent to the MCVR for testing on Wednesday, he said.

It may be recalled that the blood samples of five persons showing symptoms of KFD sent earlier had tested negative. There has been no positive case of KFD among human beings in Udupi district so far.

The authorities have taken up public awareness programmes on KFD in rural areas of the district, Dr. Bhat said.