Kyasanur forest disease (Monkey fever)

Etiology

• Flaviviridae

Epidemiology

• tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever
• endemic to South Asia
• first reported from Kyasanur Forest of Karnataka, India 1957
• affects Monkeys as well as humans
• reservoir hosts may include porcupines, rats, squirrels, mice & shrews.
• vector for disease transmission is Haemaphysalis spinigera, a forest tick

Clinical manifestations

• high fever with frontal headaches, followed by hemorrhagic symptoms, epistaxis, bleeding gums, gastrointestinal bleeding
• recovery may occur within 2 weeks, but convalescence typically lasts several months
• myalgias & muscle weakness during convalescence

Management

• no specific therapy
• prevention
  • insect repellant & other measures to prevent tick bites
  • an attenuated live vaccine is available

More general terms

• viral hemorrhagic fever syndrome; hemorrhagic nephroso-nephritis
• tick borne infection