Monkey fever: Lone entomologist finds allies

In its bid to contain the monkey fever scourge in Sindhudurg, the district health department has found an unusual ally. Multi-purpose health workers (MPWs) are being trained by the department to assist in tick surveillance activities.

“So far we have trained about 70 MPWs to collect tick samples. This is the second year they’ve been tasked for the job,” said Dr YR Sale, district health officer in Sindhudurg. Surveillance involves trapping ticks from grassy surfaces, forests, plantation areas, and sending live samples for analysis to National Institute of Virology in Pune. The exercise is pertinent in understanding the spread of the virus (Flavivrus).

Live ticks are collected by workers wearing protective gear and are sent to the labs. Up to four to five samples from six villages including Satmatwadi and Dengne have been sent to the lab so far. “The tick samples in areas where the monkey deaths occurred, have been reported to be positive for Flavivirus,” said Dr Sale. With 35 villages affected, 50 positive cases detected until February 21, and two deaths in Sindhudurg, surveillance efforts need to be stepped up, but the district has only one entomologist.

MPWs are assisting in sample collection using Turkish towels and forceps from leaves surface in forests, near cashew plantations and around water bodies in the area of hundred metres around the spots of monkey deaths, Dr YR Sale said.

The district health department has advised people to not venture out in forests, plantation areas or farms without applying adequate repellent oil – dimethyl phthalate.

Dr Sale said, “We are stepping up tick surveillance, fever detection in primary health centres of Dodamarg and Sawantwadi blocks, sending blood samples to Manipal University for testing, distributing repellent oil, dusting areas around dead monkeys for ticks, vaccinating high risk groups and distributing hand bills to spread awareness.”

Those in high risk groups — farmers, visitors or persons working with the local communities — are advised to get vaccinated against KFD, said Dr Arun Kumar, head of department, Virus Research at Manipal University in Karnataka.

Dr Kumar blames deforestation, encroachment of forest area, increasing settlements near forests responsible for rise in cases. “More people and more settlements will ease spread of virus from forests to humans. Also plantations of cashew nut and coconut attracts monkeys, increasing risk of it’s spread to humans,” he said.

Villagers are being warned to not touch monkey corpses. “The chance of catching infection within 50 metres of dead monkeys is very high. Health officials approach the area wearing protective gear and bury the dead monkeys in pits,” said Dr Kumar.