Mary Wilson
Well-known member
16th March 2023
By Catherine Davison
A tick-borne infection often spread in areca nut plantations in India is among several on the rise around the world. Can we get better at tackling these outbreaks?
... Most researchers believe that Kyasanur forest disease was endemic for centuries in the forests of the Western Ghats in India, circulating silently among primate, bird and rodent populations, and the ticks they carry
Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) – named after the forest in which it originated – is a tick-borne haemorrhagic disease with a fatality rate of around 5%. Also known as "monkey fever", it was first discovered in 1957 after an outbreak in Shivamogga, the district of Karnataka in which Aralagodu is also situated.
In the following decades, recurring outbreaks remained largely confined to the area. But in recent years, the disease has begun to spread, with cases popping up for the first time in 2013 in the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, followed by Goa in 2015 and Maharashtra in 2016.
Still, the disease barely registers on global health watchlists; outbreaks largely occur in rural areas bordering forest land and affect a tiny percentage of India's population. ...
... A KFD vaccine previously in use recently had its license revoked due to low efficacy, so understanding the risk factors for the disease is even more important.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230315-how-the-addictive-areca-nut-drives-monkey-fever-in-india
By Catherine Davison
A tick-borne infection often spread in areca nut plantations in India is among several on the rise around the world. Can we get better at tackling these outbreaks?
... Most researchers believe that Kyasanur forest disease was endemic for centuries in the forests of the Western Ghats in India, circulating silently among primate, bird and rodent populations, and the ticks they carry
Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) – named after the forest in which it originated – is a tick-borne haemorrhagic disease with a fatality rate of around 5%. Also known as "monkey fever", it was first discovered in 1957 after an outbreak in Shivamogga, the district of Karnataka in which Aralagodu is also situated.
In the following decades, recurring outbreaks remained largely confined to the area. But in recent years, the disease has begun to spread, with cases popping up for the first time in 2013 in the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, followed by Goa in 2015 and Maharashtra in 2016.
Still, the disease barely registers on global health watchlists; outbreaks largely occur in rural areas bordering forest land and affect a tiny percentage of India's population. ...
... A KFD vaccine previously in use recently had its license revoked due to low efficacy, so understanding the risk factors for the disease is even more important.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230315-how-the-addictive-areca-nut-drives-monkey-fever-in-india