One more case of Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), commonly known as monkey fever, was confirmed in Wayanad on Tuesday.
Of the 14 KFD cases reported in the district this year, three were undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, and the District Hospital at Mananthavady.
As many as five KFD cases were reported in the district in a week and a woman succumbed to the disease on Sunday.
Vaccination only option
Meanwhile, the Health Department, in association with the Forest Department and the local body, launched a door-to-door visit at Thirunelly grama panchayat on Tuesday to sensitise the public to the significance of vaccination against KFD, Noona Marja, district surveillance officer, told The Hindu. They would also collect details of fever patients and adopt steps to shift them to the District Hospital, Dr. Marja said.
As many as 147 people, including health and forest officials and ward members of the grama panchayat, participated in the drive, G.Mayadevi, president, Thirunelly grama panchayat, said.
They visited 400 houses in Ward 17 and distributed notices and body lotion (to deter ticks) to villagers, Ms. Mayadevi, said. The drive would continue in the coming days, she said.
The Health Department would vaccinate 3,868 people in habitations on the forest fringes under the Appapara family health centre against KFD.
“Vaccination is the only possible remedy to keep the disease at bay. However, only 646 people have been vaccinated so far,” Dr. Marja said.
The reluctance of the villagers to take vaccination was a challenge and the awareness drive was expected to overcome their apprehension, Dr. Marja said.
Since KFD is a tick-borne viral infection that spreads from monkeys to humans, the movement of stray monkeys in human habitats is also a matter of concern.
Forest Department sources said though 18 carcasses of monkeys were collected from the Tholpetty forest range under the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary since January 1 this year, autopsy could not be conducted in any cases as they were in a decomposed state.
“Though we collected ticks specimens from the carcasses and sent it to the Health Department for analysis, we were yet to get results,” they said.
