Even as Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as monkey fever, has been reported in the neighbouring Wayanad district, five dead monkeys found at Bheemanady in Kanhangad forest range recently have put the district administration and the Forest Department on guard.
According to forest officials, the bodies found on the trees and some on the ground with symptoms of monkey fever raised suspicion. However, it has not yet been ascertained and the samples have been sent for testing after post-mortem examinations, he said.
Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan, who held a meeting on Sunday, decided to form coordination committees at the panchayat-level in the hilly areas as part of the preventive measures. The Minister said that no one has been reported with monkey fever in the district. The meeting decided to prepare an action plan with an emphasis on awareness, prevention and caution at the panchayat-level. Meetings will be held under the aegis of the Grama Panchayat, Animal Husbandry Department and the Forest Department, he said.
If the monkeys are found dead, the authorities have advised people not to go near them. People living in forest areas should be careful not to send pets into the wild. If pets go out into the forests, protective lotions should be applied on their body. The Department of Animal Husbandry will make such lotions available to farmers, the Minister said.
“Since the virus from dead monkey can spread to a circumference of 100 m people should not go near it and should seek the help of the health authorities to bury it,” Mr. Chandrasekaran advised.
A team headed by a retired State Disease Surveillance Officer will visit areas where the monkey death was reported on Monday and report to the district administration
