Monkey Fever claims 2 lives in Maharashtra

The outbreak of Monkey Fever has claimed two lives in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra this month, despite the administration undertaking largescale vaccination drives to prevent the infection.

"The victims are the first casualties of the season as the viral infection is intensified during the December to May period.

total of 43 patients from 15 villages, mostly in the southern part of district, are infected with this fever," Yogesh Sale, Sindhudurg district health officer said on Saturday. Cases of Monkey Fever were first reported in February last year in Maharashtra, wherein seven patients had succumbed to the disease.

The district health office undertook a massive drive a couple of months back in December and January wherein 2,842 people were vaccinated as a preventive measure.

"The booster dose will be given in May and June to improve the immunity of patients. However, despite all these measures, the infection claimed two lives this month," Sale said. This time, the infection spread to more areas. Of the 43 cases so far, 20 are from Dodamarg tehsil, while remaining are from Sawantwadi taluka. The administration has supplied insect repellents to villages falling in high risk areas, he said.

"The villages located inside the forest or are very close to the forest areas are catgeorised as high-risk areas.

The villagers have also been asked to report if they find a dead monkey in their area. The health department has started sprinkling malathion powder to keep the ticks away from human contact," the officer said. The infection, which starts with high fever and bodyache, results in haemorrhage, similar to that in dengue. It has a mortality rate of 5 per cent to 10 per cent, said a state level medical officer.

The Maharashtra government has procured 7,500 injectable doses to vaccinate high-risk individuals, including farmers and forest workers, to prevent the tick-borne viral infection from spreading to other parts of the state.