NCDC team begins tour of monkey fever-hit areas

An expert team from the National Centre for Disease Control collects details from Health Department officials on an outbreak of monkey fever, at Pulpally in Wayanad district on Thursday.

An expert team of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) began its tour of areas affected by money fever (Kyasanur Forest Disease or KFD) in Wayanad district on Thursday.

The team comprising N. Balakrishnan, Joint Director, NCDC, Bangalore, and Preethi Patta, Epidemic Investigation Officer, NCDC, Delhi, visited the KFD patients admitted to the taluk hospital at Sulthan Bathery, and interacted with tribal people in various tribal settlements adjacent to the forests in Pulpally grama panchayat.

The expert team held discussions with senior officials of the Health Department, and reviewed the steps taken to control the spread of the disease.

The team will conduct an independent study of the disease till February 23.

Meanwhile, the Tribal Development Department has sanctioned Rs.5 lakh to the district health department to conduct KFD-control activities in six government health institutions under the Sulthan Bathery grama panchayat, Deputy District Medical Officer K.R. Vidya said.

All KFD patients and suspected KFD patients would be provided Rs.200 a day as financial assistance till they recovered from the disease. Awareness programmes were launched to sensitise the public to the gravity of the disease, Dr. Vidya said.