Karnataka to provide free monkey fever treatment for all; Vaccine expected next year
Kyasnur Forest Disease (KFD), a tick-borne viral illness caused by a Flavivirus, is rapidly spreading in the Malnad region, coastal areas, and states bordering Karnataka along the Western Ghats.
FollowBengaluru: The state government has declared that all individuals affected by Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as monkey fever, will receive free medical treatment. Initially, this support was limited to families classified as Below Poverty Line (BPL), but it has now been expanded to include Above Poverty Line (APL) households as well.
"Members of APL families affected by KFD will now receive free treatment at hospitals registered under the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust. This initiative will benefit hundreds of families," Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Saturday.
Providing updates on the government's efforts to combat KFD, the minister stated that a vaccine is currently being developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The initial phase of trials has shown encouraging results, and human trials are set to commence in April 2025.
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"Based on how clinical trials go, the vaccine is expected to be available by 2026," the minister added.
KFD, a tick-borne viral hemorrhagic illness, has been spreading rapidly across the Malnad region, coastal areas, and states bordering Karnataka along the Western Ghats.
Caused by a Flavivirus, KFD has a fatality rate ranging from 3% to 15%, which is significantly higher than dengue’s 2.6% mortality rate. Environmental factors such as deforestation, land-use changes, and insufficient rainfall have been linked to the disease’s increasing prevalence.
The infection follows a seasonal pattern, surging during summer and declining with the onset of monsoon. Since 2003, KFD has claimed at least 59 lives. Experts caution that delayed treatment can result in multiple organ failure, which can be fatal.
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