‘Dept. is preparing to vaccinate people if KFD virus found’
Udupi, Jan 22: As Kyasanur Forest Disease(KFD) virus have been traced in the carcass of monkeys found in nine villages in three taluks in the district so far, the health department is preparing to vaccinate all the villagers within 10 km radius of these nine villages, said KFD district nodal officer Dr. Prashanth Bhat.
As per the guidelines of the KFD, the people in the places where KFD virus have been found should be vaccinated, for which survey was being conducted in those villages. The survey report would be sent to the government shortly for its approval, he added.
As the KFD virus has already been found in nine villages, the vaccination being given as of now would not help much. The department would place the demand for required vaccination only after the government accepted the survey report.
In India, only National Institute of Virology of Puna has been developing the vaccination. After placing the order, it would take minimum one month to produce the vaccination. Even if the people were vaccinated, it would take minimum 60 days to give immunity to the patient.
Each person between 6 and 65 years of age should be given vaccination for two times in 60 days. Once the person is vaccinated, his body would develop immunity against KFD only after 90 days of his first vaccination. So, this vaccination would help them for the next year, Dr Bhat explained.
The KFD would appear between January and June. But this time, it has spread in Sagar and other parts of Shivamogga district in October-November month gaps. Monkeys would act as carriers for virus afflicted ticks and with the monkeys, the disease might come to the Western Ghats.
In the present system, if the disease was not appeared for five years after vaccinated for the disease, the vaccination would be stopped in that area. Since the KFD was not appeared in Udupi district after 1980, the vaccination was not being given to the people. So, the vaccination to be given now should be continued for the next five years. So, if the people were vaccinated now, it would work in 2020.
So, people were being given awareness about the disease and treatment. So far, there were no symptoms of the disease in the district due to precautionary measures and awareness, he said.
Carcass of 7 more monkeys found
Carcass of seven more monkeys were found in various parts of the district including three in Shiriyara, two in Byndoor and one each in Basrur Kandavara and Nandalike. After conducting postmortem of two carcass in Byndoor and one in Nandalike, samples were sent to Shivamogga for testing and remaining four carcass were found in complete mutilated condition.
Meanwhile, the blood samples of two women of Belapu and Kodladi who were admitted to the district hospital for treatment were sent to Manipal hospital and both the samples were tested negative. So, till now, there were no reports of suspected KFD virus in the district, he informed.
30 treated in Manipal
Today, two more patients from Sagar taluk admitted to Manipal hospital for treatment. With them, the number of patients admitted to the hospital so far was increased to 109. Among them, three patients were readmitted to the hospital. After testing, 45 persons were tested positive and 65 persons tested negative and reports of three persons yet to come. Total 81 patients were cured and 30 patients were still undergoing treatment, the hospital sources said.
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Karnataka says sandbar removal in Uttara Kannada rivers will begin after environmental clearance
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the removal of sandbars from four major rivers in Uttara Kannada district will proceed only after mandatory environmental approvals are granted.
In an affidavit submitted before the NGT’s Chennai Bench, the Department of Mines and Geology said it has already applied to the Karnataka State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for permission to clear sandbars in the Sharavathi, Gangavali, Kali and Aghanashini rivers. The tribunal had earlier issued a notice seeking the State’s response following complaints of illegal sand mining in the region, as reported Deccan Herald.
According to the department, eight proposals have been submitted for sandbar removal in the Sharavathi river, seven in the Kali, four in the Aghanashini and one in the Gangavali. It stated that no work would begin until SEIAA grants the requisite clearances.
Officials had earlier told the tribunal that excessive sand accumulation could obstruct river flow, increase erosion of riverbanks and raise the risk of flooding. They also said clearing the sandbars and using the material locally while following environmental safeguards.
