Are you aware of Monkey Fever or Kyasanur Forest Disease?

You may be a person who loves to travel in India, especially to the jungles. But when we go on such trips, we also have to think a little about the unknown diseases. Today we are talking about one such disease, which can be dangerous, especially in the forests of the Indian state of Karnataka. This disease is transmitted by ticks and is also known as "monkey fever" among the people.

What is Kaisanur Forest Disease (KFD)?

Simply put, this is a disease caused by a virus. It is called Kaisanur forest disease, because it was first reported from a forest called Kaisanur in the state of Karnataka, India. This is a viral hemorrhagic fever . This means that if this disease becomes severe, it can cause bleeding inside and outside the body and even lead to death.

The virus that causes this belongs to the family of viruses called `Flaviviridae`. These fall into the category `arbovirus`. This means that this virus is mainly transmitted by small animals `(arthropods)` like ticks and bedbugs.

Think about it this way. This virus is usually found in animals like rats, mice, and monkeys. When a tick sucks the blood of one of these animals, the virus enters the tick's body. Then, when that tick bites a human, the virus enters our body. Also, if you touch an animal like a monkey that is sick with this disease or has recently died, you can also get the disease.

Domestic animals like cows, goats, and sheep can also be infected with this virus. However, we cannot get the disease directly from those animals. However, we can get the disease through ticks on the bodies of those animals. The disease cannot be transmitted by drinking the milk of those animals.

This disease is most common in the Indian state of Karnataka and its neighboring states. The disease is usually most prevalent from January to May .

What are the symptoms of this disease?

Symptoms begin 2 to 7 days after a tick bite. The first symptoms are a sudden onset of high fever and chills. This can be accompanied by a severe headache. Some people may also experience photophobia, which makes them unable to look at bright lights .

This fever can last for 12 days or more. During this time, you may also experience these symptoms:

• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Cough
• Pain in the back and limbs
• Watery blisters on the body
• Severe weakness

After 3 or 4 days, another dangerous symptom may appear. That is bleeding . You may start bleeding from the gums and nose. You may vomit blood, cough up blood, and your stool may turn black or red. If there is bleeding in the lungs or if there is excessive bleeding from the intestines, it can lead to death.

However, most people recover within 10 to 14 days. However, even during recovery, there may be muscle tremors, a feeling of weakness, and tremors.

Second stage of the disease

Some people (about 20%) may experience a biphasic illness. This means that the fever subsides and then comes back. In this second phase , symptoms related to the nervous system are more common.

• Drowsiness
• Memory loss
• Dizziness
• Epileptic seizures
• Loss of consciousness `(unconsciousness)`

Bleeding may also occur in this second stage. This condition lasts for about 12-14 days. The mortality rate of this disease is between 2% and 10%.

How to accurately diagnose the disease?

Because the symptoms of many tick-borne diseases are similar, it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. However, if your doctor suspects KFD, there are several laboratory tests that can confirm the diagnosis.

• PCR test: Detection of genetic fragments of the virus (Molecular detection by polymerase chain reaction - PCR)).
• Virus isolation: Virus isolation from the blood.
• Antibody tests: Serologic testing using ELISA looks for antibodies in the blood that have been produced against the virus.

PCR and ELISA are tests that give quick results. Therefore, the disease can be diagnosed quickly and treatment can be started. In this disease, early hospitalization and treatment can save lives.

How is it treated?

Unfortunately, no specific antiviral drug has yet been found for KFD , so treatment is limited to symptoms and supportive care.

Your doctor will give you medicine to reduce fever and pain, and will also tell you to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

Those with severe illness need to be hospitalized for treatment. There,

• If there is fluid retention in the body, saline (intravenous fluids) is given.
• If blood pressure is low, it is treated.
• If there is excessive bleeding, blood transfusions are given.
• Treating complications like epilepsy.

How can you avoid this dangerous disease?

Since there is no specific treatment for this, the best thing to do is to prevent the disease from developing . There are two main ways to do this: vaccination and protection from ticks.

1. Vaccination

There is a vaccine against KFD. It is made from an inactivated virus. About 70% of people who get this vaccine develop antibodies that can fight the disease.

2. Tick bite avoidance

This is the most important thing we can do. If you are going to an area where this disease is present, be sure to do these things to protect yourself from ticks.

Your risk of developing KFD depends on where you travel, when, and what activities you do. The Western Ghats region of Karnataka, India, is at highest risk, but cases are now also being reported from the surrounding states of Tamil Nadu, Goa, Kerala, and Maharashtra.

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