A district-level meeting of the senior officials of various departments, chaired by District Collector Adeela Abdulla, decided to intensify the vaccination drive to keep the Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) or monkey fever at bay in Wayanad district.
Two KFD cases have been reported in the district this year so far. Three persons had died of the disease and 29 KFD cases were reported in the district last year.
As the viral disease, transmitted to humans through a species of ticks found on monkeys, had been mainly reported from hamlets adjacent to forest on the Kerala-Karnataka border, the public should be vigilant, especially during the peak period from February to April, Ms. Abdulla said.
The Health Department officials should adopt all possible steps, such as intensifying the vaccination drive and organising awareness programmes in villages during the period to tackle any outbreak of the disease, Ms. Abdulla said. Medicines, including antibiotics, and fluids should be stocked to meet any emergency.
Personal protection measures include use of gloves, gumboots, and lotions, and they will be supplied to people in KFD-hit areas.
