A 57-year-old woman from Kudige village of Thirthahalli town in Karnataka's Shimoga district tested positive for Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), the health officer informed.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, KFD is caused by Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), a member of the virus family Flaviviridae. KFDV was identified in 1957 when it was isolated from a sick monkey from the Kyasanur Forest in Karnataka (formerly Mysore) state, India. Since then, between 400-500 humans cases per year have been reported.
Speaking to ANI, District health officer Dr Rajesh Suragihalli said "In our village Thirthahalli Taluk, Shimoga district got the first case of KFD after a 57-year-old woman in Kudige village of Thirthahalli Taluk was found positive for KFD."
"A woman was admitted to a public health care centre in Thirthahalli Taluk, who was suffering from fever for a couple of days. She was diagnosed with KDF on Thursday but now her condition is better," Suragihalli said.
"As this is the first case in the district, our frontline and healthcare workers are on duty. The team is conducting a fever survey. People suffering from fever will be admitted to hospital in Thirthahalli Taluk," he said.
"We don't want any KFD positive person to stay at home, therefore, they will be under our observation," he added.
Aralagodu in Sagar taluk in Shimoga district was affected by KFD in 2019, which claimed 22 lives. In all 26 people had within two years.
"We are vigilant about the ticks mutation. We have conducted a survey in KFD stricken villages. We requested the villagers to use precautionary measures and be cautious about monkey deaths at nearby places," Suragihalli said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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