Kyasanur Forest Disease: Vector Surveillance and its Control

SN Sharma; Rina Kumawat; Sujeet Kumar Singh

SN Sharma National Centre for Disease Control, 22 - Sham Nath Marg, Delhi, India.
Rina Kumawat National Centre for Disease Control, 22 - Sham Nath Marg, Delhi, India.
Sujeet Kumar Singh National Centre for Disease Control, 22 - Sham Nath Marg, Delhi, India.

Keywords: Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), KFD Virus (KFDV), Trans-Stadial Transmission, Trans-Ovarial Transmission, Amplifier Host, Dead end Host

Abstract

Kyasanaur Forest Disease (KFD) is a tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever caused by KFD Virus (KFDV), a member of the virus family Flaviviridae (Genus: Flavivirus). KFD was first recognized as a febrile illness in Shimoga district of Karnataka state, India in 1957. It is also called as monkey fever. KFDV gets transmitted by the bite infective ticks Haemaphysalis spp., especially at its nymphal stage.

There is wide range of hosts including human, tick species, rodents (shrews, forest rats) monkeys (black faced langurs and red faced bonnet monkeys), bats, squirrels, ground dwelling birds and porcupines and domestic ruminants. Rodents are the best maintenance hosts (short generation time). In KFD, Human act as dead end host. They do not develop adequate viremia to infect the ticks. Amplification of virus occurs in Monkeys. Domestic ruminants maintain the infected tick population for long time. Trans-stadial transmission in ticks is common, but trans-ovarial transmission is absent except in Ixodes petaurisae.

About sixteen species of ticks are known to be involved in transmission. Ten species carry natural infection. Haemaphysalis spinigera and Haemaphysalis turturis are the two major vector playing role in KFD transmission. Other species of Haemaphysalis involved in transmission of KFDV are H. aculeata, H. bispinosa, H. cuspidata, H. kyasanurinsis and H. minuta, H. kinneari and H. wellingtoni. An attempt has been made in this manuscript to discuss the vector surveillance in KFD transmission and vector control options available at present.

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