On the transmission pattern of Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD) in India

Abstract

Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD), a tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever, is endemic in five districts of Karnataka state, India. Recent reports of the spread of disease to neighboring districts of the Western Ghats, namely Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka, Nilgiri district in Tamil Nadu, Wayanad and Malappuram districts in Kerala, and Pali village in Goa are a cause for concern. Besides vaccination of the affected population, establishing an event-based surveillance system for monkey deaths in the national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests of the Western Ghats would help detect the disease early and thereby help implement appropriate control measures.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40249-015-0066-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Kyasanur forest disease virus breaking the endemic barrier: An investigation into ecological effects on disease emergence and future outlook

“…They additionally archived sporadic cases from eight other territories during the period. In 2015, KFD outbreak again happened in Shimoga district, Karnataka, with 35 confirmed human cases (Murhekar et al., ).…”

“…From the neighbouring state of Kerala, the first human case was confirmed from Noolpuzha of Wayanad district in May 2013. Kyasanur Forest disease virus reappeared in Wayanad in the year 2014 where as an outbreak occurred in Nilambur of Malappuram district in the month of June (Murhekar et al., ; Tandale, Balakrishnan, Yadav, Marja, & Mourya, ). In the same year, KFD has been diagnosed among monkeys residing in a temple compound at Vallikkavu near Chengannur in Alappuzha district of Kerala (John et al., ; The Pioneer, ).…”

“…During January to May 2015, an outbreak was reported from the villages near Pulpally in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary causing many monkey deaths and 18 confirmed human cases out of which seven from Pulpally, eight from Mullankolly and other three cases from Chethayalayam and Poothadi. In 2015, KFD cases were also reported from Pali village, Sattari taluk, Goa, having 18 confirmed cases which claimed nine deaths (Murhekar et al., ). Kyasanur Forest disease made a comeback in Goa (this time, Mauxi village) and has claimed the life of a 60‐year‐old on 18 January 2016 (ProMED‐mail, ).…”

Genome Wide Computational Prediction of miRNAs in Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus and their Targeted Genes in Human

“…Since the first outbreak of KFD in 1957, the disease has been outbreaks many a times from 2012-2015 in its origin state Karnataka and even in new states like Kerala, Tamilnadu and Goa [6,7].…”

Phylogenetic analysis of some hard ticks from India using mitochondrial 16s rDNA

“…As tick species parasitizing buffaloes and cattle are similar so the threat of tick borne diseases carried from cattle to buffalo and vice versa is possible and equal attention to the health care of cattle and buffalo should therefore be taken [2]. Ghosh and Nagar [1] have reviewed the various tick borne diseases threatening livestock in India and the recent report of spread of Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) from endemic regions in South India to other regions [3] is very alarming so it is all the more pertinent to have knowledge of tick distribution, speciation and evolution. Ticks are classified in the sub-order Ixodida of the order Parasitiformes, one of the two orders of mites (Acari) consisting of about 900 species divided into two major families: Argasidae Canestrini, 1890 of soft ticks and Ixodidae Murray, 1877 of hard ticks.…”