Karnataka teen dies of Monkey Fever, first case of 2024; know all about the disease

A 19-year-old girl from Hosanagara taluk in Shivamogga district has succumbed to the Kyasanur Forest Disease, also known as Monkey Fever at a Manipal hospital, health department sources said.

The girl, hailing from Aramanae Koppa village in Shivamogga, was admitted to KMC Hospital in Manipal in Udupi district on January 4 after testing positive for KFD. This is the first death reported due to the disease this year, sources said.

The girl reportedly developed fever after she went for de-husking arecanut at Analekoppa village on December 26 and was taken to a private hospital for treatment. Although her condition improved initially, it deteriorated on December 30, after which she was admitted to McGann Hospital in Shivamogga.

She was found to be suffering from brain fever. However, she tested negative for KFD on January 2. A repeat test on January 4 confirmed the disease and she was shifted to KMC hospital where she succumbed to death on Monday, the sources said.

What is KFD?

Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD) is caused by a virus called Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus (KFDV), discovered in 1957 after a sick monkey was found in the forests of Karnataka, India. Every year, around 400-500 cases of this disease in humans are reported.

The virus lives in hard ticks known as Hemaphysalis spinigera, which remain infected for life once they catch it. Rodents, shrews, and monkeys often get bitten by these ticks and become common hosts for the virus. In monkeys, KFDV can cause outbreaks with a high risk of death.

Transmission to humans

Transmission to humans mostly occurs through tick bites or contact with infected animals, especially sick or recently-deceased monkeys. There is no evidence of the disease spreading between people. Larger animals like goats, cows, and sheep can also get infected, but they rarely pass the virus to humans. The disease doesn't seem to spread through the unpasteurised milk of these animals.

Symptoms

KFD symptoms start showing after three to eight days of exposure, and include chills, fever, and headaches. Some patients recover after one to two weeks, but around 10-20 per cent experience a second wave of symptoms, including fever, severe headache, and neurological problems.

Recorded human cases

According to the National Centre for Disease Control, between 1957 and 2004, there were 24,721 recorded human cases and 6,475 monkey deaths due to KFD. Over 80 per cent of human cases and 64 per cent of monkey deaths took place in the Malnad region of the Western Ghats.

National Institutes of Health records show that the disease saw major human outbreaks during specific periods: 1957–1958 (681 cases), 1983–1984 (2,589 cases), 2002–2003 (1,562 cases), and 2016–2017 (809 cases).

(With inputs from agencies)