The extended holiday for schools owing to the lockdown, enforced to prevent the spread of COVID-19, has resulted in a rise in the number of cases of children infected with the Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as monkey fever, in Karnataka.
A total number of 197 positive cases of KFD were seen in Karnataka since January 1, and around 17 were reported during the lockdown and the affected were below 14 years.
Of the total positive cases this year, 8.6% are children. So far, in the years of major outbreaks, the percentage of children in the total number of positive cases used to be around 2%.
Holiday blamed
The health authorities blame the holiday declared to schools for an extended period of time as the reason for enhancement in the number of cases. In Malnad region, it is common for children to venture into forest during summer to swim in the rivulets there, for collection of fruits and to graze cattle.
As the holiday was declared at the period when the outbreak was at its peak this year, the health authorities said that in forests the children came in contact with the ticks that spread the disease from monkeys to humans.
Kiran S. K., Director of Viral Diagnostic Laboratory(VDL) in Shivamogga, the main arm of Department of Health and Family Welfare in tackling the KFD, told The Hindu that the parents should prevent the movement of children in forest fringes.
He said that the study has revealed that the pace of recovery of infected children is high compared to the adults. Even the children who had high viral load in their blood samples, have staged a speedy recovery. Moreover, no death has been reported in this age group this year, he said.
Visiting relatives
Mr. Kiran said that there are cases of children contacting the disease by visiting the house of their relatives in affected areas for vacation. A four-year-old boy from Channashettykoppa village in Sagar taluk went to the house of his grandparents in Seegemakki, a KFD-affected hamlet, where he contacted the disease. The boy is being treated at a private hospital in Manipal in Udupi district now. In Malnad, dry leaves, locally called as daragu, are collected from the forest that would be used as manure for arecanut plantations. In many cases, the ticks come near the human habitats through the heap of dry leaves and spread the disease. In Korlakai village in neighbouring Uttara Kannada district, a five-year-old boy, who had come into contact with the ticks while playing near the heap of dry leaves in the arecanut plantation at the backyard of his house, has tested positive for KFD.
Following these incidents, the Shivamogga district administration has banned the entry of people to forest in 31 villages affected by KFD for an indefinite period of time.
