CHENNAI: With 53 human cases of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) reported recently in Karnataka state, the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine in Tamil Nadu on Sunday issued an advisory on prevention and control of the disease in villages bordering Karnataka.
The DPH has advised the officials to sensitise and train the medical and paramedical staff in the blocks bordering Karnataka. Apart from this, the officials were also asked to take up mapping of the villages lying on the border of Karnataka and Kerala and to conduct an enumeration of eligible population on the basis of different age groups.
“There should be regular fever surveillance and collection of serum samples from the patients and the forest officials should conduct a proper surveillance of monkey deaths. People should also be asked to use tick repellents before entering forests. They should also wear long sleeved and thick clothes that reduce exposure to ticks,” the advisory further stated.
Kyasanur Forest Disease is caused by a virus. Transmission in humans may occur after a tick bite or contact with an infected animal, most importantly a sick or recently-dead monkey. There is no person-to-person transmission involved here.
Symptoms of Kyasanur Forest Disease starts with chills, fever and headache. There is no specific treatment for it, but early hospitalisation and supportive therapy is important. A vaccine is given for this disease in endemic areas, the advisory further added.