Combatting Monkey Fever: 4 Preventive Measures Everyone Should Know

Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), or Monkey Fever, is a type of viral hemorrhagic fever spread by ticks that have been infected. While it predominantly impacts monkeys, humans can also contract the disease through bites from these infected ticks or direct contact with an infected animal.

What you need to know:

What is monkey fever?
Is monkey fever spreadable?
Symptoms of monkey fever
How is monkey fever caused?

What is monkey fever?

Monkey Fever is triggered by the KFD virus, a type of arbovirus that primarily affects monkeys and rodents, as per the Indian Journal of Medical Research. The disease got its name from the Kyasanur forest in India, which is the location where the first case was identified.

In the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, there have been 31 reported instances of KFD, resulting in two fatalities. The State Health Department is preparing strategies to prevent the disease from spreading further.

Is monkey fever spreadable?

Kyasanur Forest Disease, often referred to as Monkey Fever, is primarily spread through the bites of ticks from the Haemaphysalis genus, especially the Haemaphysalis spinigera species. These ticks usually feed on monkeys, making them the primary hosts. As these infected monkeys move through forest areas, they assist in spreading the virus in new regions.

If bitten by these infected ticks or through direct contact with the blood of infected animals, humans may catch the disease. There’s also a risk of infection when handling objects contaminated with the virus. However, human-to-human transmission of the KFD virus is uncommon.

Symptoms of monkey fever

Monkey fever has an incubation period lasting between 3 to 8 days. Some early signs are:

Fever
Chills
Headaches
Intense muscle pain
Vomiting
Gastrointestinal issues
Bleeding issues within 3 to 4 days of the first symptoms
Low blood pressure
Decreased platelet, red blood cell, and white blood cell count

Furthermore, you may experience a two-phase progression of the illness. Initially, after 1 to 2 weeks of experiencing symptoms, you may be affected with a second wave characterized by fever and neurological symptoms, such as intense headaches, mental disturbances and vision issues.

How is monkey fever caused?

Monkey fever is caused by the Kyanasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), a part of the Flaviviridae virus family. It was first identified in the Kyasanur Forest of Karnataka from the body of a monkey in 1957. It was later found that a human can contract it through tick bites or contact with an infected animal.

While there is no cure for monkey fever at present, you can take certain proactive steps to avoid ticks and, in turn, monkey fever:

Wear long-sleeved clothes and cover yourself well to minimize skin exposure.
Use insect repellents on exposed areas of skin and clothes.
Avoid contact with infected animals.

While there are no specific treatment plans for monkey virus, if you experience any of the symptoms discussed above, visit a hospital and get yourself checked immediately. Prevention is always better than cure.

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