DHARMAPURI: The Dharmapuri district administration has urged people living near the Karnataka border not to worry about the Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) or monkey fever. It has formed a committee of personnel from the health, forest and animal husbandry departments to monitor the area. The committee will coordinate efforts to prevent the spread of any infection zoonotic or otherwise.
The health department has ordered the forest department and the animal husbandry department to monitor cases of animal fatalities, especially after reports of monkey fever in Karnataka. Dharmapuri district shares a border with Karnataka.
Speaking on the subject, Deputy Director of Health Services, Dr S Jeyanthi, said, “The notification was issued as a precaution, but there is no cause for concern. The Block Medical Officer of Pennagaram has been ordered to screen all fever cases in parts of Hogenakkal, Uttamalai, Marukottai, Alambadi and other areas. We have a natural barrier in river Cauvery, and it is highly unlikely for ticks, which cause the infection, to survive in water.”
District Forest Officer K V Appala Naidu said, “Usually monkey and deer deaths are common in the forest. That cannot be attributed to monkey fever. So far no infection has been found in the forest and we will be conducting postmortem of monkeys and deer.”