The Department of Health and Family Welfare on Monday said there was no incidence of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), or monkey fever, in Mysuru district and the two tribal deaths reported from H.D. Kote recently were not due to the disease.
However, public healthcare authorities in the district have been put on alert following reports of KFD incidence in the neighbouring State of Kerala.
Mysuru District Health Officer (DHO) Basavaraj told reporters that the two tribal men from H.D. Kote — Bhaskar and Chander — had died owing to some other health complications.
“While Chander was suffering from controlled hypertension, Bhaskar had recovered from TB and was suspected to be suffering from pneumonia. Bhaskar had availed treatment at Manandawadi Hospital in Kerala. Neither had KFD symptoms, though Bhaskar had fever and cough,” he said.
Dr. Basavaraj said the two deaths were linked to KFD because two residents of Kerala had returned to their respective village after visiting relatives in the Tippenahosahalli tribal hamlet in H.D. Kote taluk recently, and both had been admitted to hospital. “Suresha was tested positive for KFD but recovered after receiving treatment at Manandawadi. Sureshaiah was referred to the Kozhikode Medical College in Kerala for treatment. This led to misapprehension of a KFD outbreak among the residents of the taluk,” he said.
The DHO, who recently visited Kerala with officials from H.D. Kote, said Mr. Sureshaiah had also recovered but his lab reports were yet to be received. “Suresha’s hospital case sheet said he was KFD positive,” he said.
Meanwhile, the district health authorities have asked the taluk authorities to be on alert and step up surveillance. “If any uncontrolled fever cases are reported from anywhere, treat them on priority. If necessary, collect blood samples and send for laboratory tests to rule out the disease,” Dr. Basavaraj said.
Blood samples of two suspected cases from Tippenahosahalli haadi have been sent to Manipal for lab testing. Samples of ticks collected from the haadi and nearby forests have been sent to Shivamogga for analysis. The reports are expected by next week, he said.
Uncontrolled fever for over a week, severe muscle pain, skin rash and severe cold are among the primary symptoms of KFD. If the fever does not abate within three or four days, it needs to be treated symptomatically like dengue, the DHO explained.
‘No monkey carcasses found’
No unusual monkey deaths, particularly of grey langurs, have been reported on the Karnataka-Kerala border adjoining H.D. Kote taluk, and this is being cited as a “strong reason” to rule out KFD outbreak in the district.
“Abnormal monkey deaths are considered major evidence for authenticating the outbreak of the disease, as in Shivamogga district where such deaths have been reported. Forest authorities have combed the areas where suspected cases were first reported in the taluk, but monkey carcasses have not been found,” Dr. Basavaraj said.
He told reporters that the virus infects langurs and the ticks on their bodies suck heir blood and spread the infection to humans. But the disease does not spread from human to human, the DHO said.
“So far, there is no clinical and diagnostic evidence of KFD in the district,” he said, adding that forest staff, tribals and others living on the forest fringes were vaccinated against the disease in August last. He said two doses were administered last year and the authorities were considering giving a fresh dose in the wake of reports of KFD in Kerala.
