Kyasanur forest disease or KFD is a viral hemorrhagic fever spread by ticks that is endemic to India’s southwestern region. The virus that causes the sickness is from the Flaviviridae family. Humans get KFDV when hard ticks (Haemaphysalis spinigera), the carrier of the virus, bite them. Read below to know more about Kyasanur forest disease for your IAS Preparation.
Rare viruses, diseases, etc. are a part of the environment and ecology section for the IAS exam. Candidates preparing for the upcoming competitive exams must go through the details about the Kyasanur Forest Disease discussed further below in the article.
Also, read What are diseases and what are their agents?
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Signs and Symptoms of Kyasanur Forest Disease India
A high temperature, frontal headache, chills, severe muscular spasm, gastrointestinal problems leading to vomiting are all signs of the condition. Bleeding difficulties might appear approximately four days following the beginning of the first symptom. Patients may have low RBC, WBC, and platelet counts.
Some individuals recover without complications after a couple of weeks. However, the sickness manifests in two phases in a minority of patients who experience a second wave of KFD symptoms at the end of the second week. Fever and indicators of neurological problems, such as severe headache, frequent tremors, and visual abnormalities, are among these symptoms.
The recuperation phase is usually rather protracted, spanning several months. During this time, the afflicted individual experiences muscle pains and extreme weakness.
Diagnosis and Detection of Kyasanur Forest Disease UPSC
In the past, suspected cases were verified in the laboratory by inoculating serum into Swiss Albino mice or suckling mice and then labeling the animals as KFD+ cases. Complement fixation, hemagglutination inhibition (HI), and neutralization tests were among the other modalities of diagnosis.
However, current research has led to the development of more effective molecular-based diagnostic approaches for KFDV. Various types of PCR such as simple RT-PCR, TaqMan-based RT-PCR, nested RT-PCR, ELISA-based detection of Immunoglobulin G, and Immunoglobulin M antibodies are among these approaches. The two RT-PCR techniques work by connecting a primer to the gene named NS-5- a highly conserved sequence within the genus to which the KFD virus belongs.
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Prevention of KFD and ItsTreatment
Vaccination and appropriate preventive measures such as tick population management and protective clothing are all effective methods of prevention. Formalin-inactivated KFDV is used in the vaccination for KFDV. Individuals who receive two doses of the vaccine have a 62.4% efficacy rate. The efficacy of those who get a further dosage rises to 82.9%. There are no specific therapies available.
Affected states of India
The sickness was first documented in the Shimoga region of Karnataka, a primitive sylvan zone in India’s Western Ghats. The illness expanded to the districts of Chikkamagaluru, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chamarajanagar (2012), and Belagavi in Karnataka (2016). KFDV was discovered in a monkey autopsy in the Nilgiris area of Tamil Nadu in 2013. Three neighbouring states bordering Karnataka have now recorded monkey fatalities and human cases: Kerala’s Wayanad (2013) and Malappuram districts (2014), Goa’s North Goa district (2015), and Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district (2016).
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Frequently Asked Questions on Kyasanur Forest Disease UPSC
What is Kyasanur Forest Disease?
Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) is a raging topic for the UPSC Prelims. The disease is caused by the virus Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus (KFDV), which belongs to the Flaviviridae family. KFDV was first discovered in an ill monkey in the Kyasanur Forest in Karnataka (formerly Mysore) State, India, in 1957. Since then, 500 odd human cases have been documented each year. Hard ticks (Haemaphysalis spinigera) are the KFD virus’s reservoir, and once infected, they remain infected for the rest of their lives. After being bitten by an infected tick, rodents, shrews, and monkeys are frequent hosts for KFDV. In monkeys, KFDV can produce epizootics with a high mortality rate.
How is Kyasanur Forest Disease transmitted?
Porcupines, rats, squirrels, mice, and shrews are among the species suspected to be reservoir hosts for the illness. The primary amplifying hosts for the KFD virus are monkeys, who are also victims. The KFD virus is hazardous to the surili Presbytis entellus and the bonnet macaque. They produce a lot of viremias and infect the ticks. The Haemaphysalis spinigera, a forest tick, is the disease’s vector. Humans become infected after being bitten by tick nymphs. Man is a terminal host, and there is no human-to-human transmission since ticks cannot survive in the human home environment.
How fatal is Kyasanur Forest Disease?
The disease kills 3-10% of those who have it, and it affects 400-500 individuals per year. The illness was initially discovered in the Karnataka village of Kyasanur in the Shivamogga district near Sagar. Monkeys in Bandipur National Park, located in Chamarajanagar, and the Nilgiris have been found to have the virus. The human infection happened in Bandipur as a result of touching contaminated dead monkeys. In Wayanad, a human carrying the virus was also discovered. The illness has been detected in Karnataka’s neighbouring states like Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and even in Gujarat.
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