A district-level meeting of senior officials chaired by District Collector Adeela Abdulla here on Friday decided to intensify vaccination against Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) or monkey fever in Wayanad.
Three persons had died of the disease, and 29 KFD cases were reported in the district last season. Since the outbreak of the viral disease, transmitted to humans through a species of ticks found on monkeys, had been mainly reported from hamlets near forests, the public should be vigilant, especially during the peak period from November to April, Ms. Abdulla said.
Health Department officials should adopt all possible steps such as intensifying the vaccination drive and organise awareness programmes in villages to tackle a possible outbreak, she added.
Medicines, including antibiotics, and fluids should be stocked to meet emergency situations. Personal protection equipment including gloves, gumboots, and lotions will be supplied to people in KFD-hit areas, the Collector said.
The disease was mainly reported from five grama panchayats in the district, including Thirunelly, Pulpally, Mullankolly, Poothadi, and Noolpuzha, District Surveillance Officer Savan Sara Mathew said.
Dr. Mathew said that as many as 20,000 people in Thirunelly grama panchayat, where the highest number of KFD cases was reported, were vaccinated against the disease last season.
