Centre joins German govt to study, curb KFD in Goa

Panaji: Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as monkey disease, emerged in Goa in March 2015. The state reported one death in 2015 and three deaths in 2016. The health department controlled the disease after over 460 cases through various measures. Currently, regions in Goa, along with Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, are included in the central govt’s pilot project on KFD.

The pilot project aims to create awareness in villages located in the foothills of the Western Ghats, particularly in parts of Sattari, Goa. Additionally, the project will examine the relationship between altered biodiversity and KFD for the first time. The six-month study’s findings will assist the Centre in preventing similar disease outbreaks nationwide.

Pradip Sarmokadam, member secretary of the Goa State Biodiversity Board, said the increase in KFD cases in Goa occurred during the cashew plucking season. He noted that ticks on certain plants contribute to the disease’s spread. “It will be seen under the project if some of these plants that are made home by the ticks can be eliminated or reduced from the environment in the villagers of Sattari at the foothills of the Western Ghats, where there is history of KFD,” Sarmokadam said.

The state established a committee on zoonosis for the first time. Sarmokadam added, “The project is being taken up under govt of India’s One Health Mission and GIZ of the German govt. It will aim to eliminate the roots of such diseases, ensure better preparedness to tackle them, and mobilise local people and biodiversity management committees to bring in behavioural changes in the locals through awareness etc to prevent KFD.



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