As many as four monkeys were found dead in different parts of Udupi district on Wednesday. Prashanth Bhat, District Nodal Officer for Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), said here that a monkey each was found dead at Shirlal, Belman, Hiliyana, and Valthur villages.
The autopsy on the carcasses of monkeys found at Hiliyana and Belman was conducted and the samples would sent to the Viral Diagnostic Lab (VDL) in Shivamogga, and Manipal Centre for Virus Research (MCVR), here. However, monkeys found dead in the district from January 19 to February 4 had tested negative for KFD virus, he said.
The blood sample of a man from Hallihole village in the district, showing symptoms of KFD, was sent to the MCVR and he had tested negative for the disease. As many as 26 people had been tested in Udupi district for KFD since the beginning of January and all had tested negative, he said.
Meanwhile, the MCVR team conducted tick surveillance in select areas of Kavarady and Hosangadi villages of the district on Wednesday and the results are awaited.
WHO team
Meanwhile, a team from World Health Organization (WHO) along with the Department of Health and Family Welfare officers visited wards patients, mostly from Shivamogga district, who are being treated for KFD at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal.
They met Vice-Chancellor of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, the Medical Superintendent of Kasturba Hospital and the head of the MCVR to discuss optimum utilisation of facilities available at the hospital and the MCVR, Dr. Bhat said.
The department was educating people on preventive measures and identifying those who might show signs of KFD through Fever Survey in the district. Medical officers of Primary Health Centres had visited affected areas. Private doctors, MCVR, Kasturba Hospital, and NGOs across the district, had joined hands with the department in the preventive drive, he said.