BELAGAVI
The Kyasanur Forest Disease (Monkey fever) is believed to have spread from Goa to neighbouring Karnataka, with about 20 persons suspected to have been infected in four villages within the jurisdiction of Kankumbi Primary Health Centre jurisdiction in Khanapur taluka. “The affected people were daily-wage labourers frequenting to Goa for livelihood,” Karnataka s District Health Officer Dr Appasaheb Naratti was quoted in a report in The Hindu. According to The Hindu report, “preliminary investigations indicated that they were infected during their stay in Goa, where the Kyasanur Forest Disease (a tick-borne viral
hemorrhagic fever endemic to South Asia), commonly known as monkey fever, has gripped villages of Sattari taluka situated on the State s eastern side adjoining Khanapur taluka.” Confirming the incident, Dr Naratti told The Goan that
of the 20 patients, 10 patients are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Valpoi, while others are admitted at Primary Health Centre in Khanapur and the district hospital in Belagavi. “All 20 patients are in a stable condition,” informed Dr Naratti. “All these workers hail from Chapoli, Amte, Murgavi and Jamboti in Western Khanapur taluka are working at cashew processing and distilling centers at Keri, where they were probably infected with the viral infection,” Dr Naratti added. “As of today, we cannot ascertain that it is the monkey fever. We have send blood samples and serum for testing at National Institute of Virolgy at Pune, while the tics from the area have been sent to Shimoga. Only after getting reports, probably by the end of this week, will we be able to diagnose the exact cause of the infection,” Dr Naratti clarified. He said a meeting with health officials from Goa and Sindhudurg district will be convened shortly to ascertain the cause of the infection and to implement a coordinated vaccination drive in the infected areas. Dr Naratti, who along with his team went to create awareness among residents of all four villages, said: “There is no immediate threat of further spread of disease. Yet, immunisation as a preventive measure could be taken up if the test results are positive. The infection is so far confined only to four villages,” he added.
