A women from Chikkamagaluru died of monkey fever at Manipal hospital after many days of treatment on Tuesday. With this, the death toll in the land of coffee, which has seen a surge in the disease, has raised to 4.

The dead has been identified as Rathna (68) of Bintravalli in Koppa. She was admitted to a local hospital with high fever a few days ago. As she exhibited certain monkey fever symptoms, the attending doctor had sent her blood sample to a laboratory. When the test results came positive, she was immediately shifted to Manipal Hospital for treatment. The woman did not respond to any medications and died on Tuesday mid-night.

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Monkey fever, also known as Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), is a virus transmitted disease that affects human being through tick bites or infected animals. Chikkamagalur currently has 11 cases reported and all are under medical supervision. All the patients have recovered due to proper treatment. Health department officials and staff have taken necessary steps to control the spread of disease in affected villages. They have advised the locals to smear Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) oil on their bodies before entering forest. The oil has been already supplied to the coffee estate workers and forest officials.

The officials have urged the public to inform the health department and department of animal husbandry if they see any dead monkeys in the forest. The departments are testing blood samples from the dead animals to check for KFD virus.

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Bengaluru: Commuters on the crowded Namma Metro Purple and Green lines may soon get relief, as the Railway Board has issued provisional sanction for induction of new train sets, Deccan Herald reported.

The Railway Board communicated the provisional sanction to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in a letter on April 1, raising hopes that additional trains could be deployed during peak hours by May-June.

According to the Railway Board, the approval comes with conditions, including a maximum speed of 80 kmph in fully inflated mode and 25 kmph in deflated mode of the secondary air spring.

The BMRCL will also need a separate sanction from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) by submitting the Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) report confirming the trains’ integration, operation, and compatibility with the Direct To Go (DTG) signalling and train control system for the Purple and Green lines.

The BMRCL has received three DTG trains, including a prototype delivered in January 2025, for the Purple and Green lines. The trains must pass 37 statutory clearances before entering passenger service.

The BMRCL had approached the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), under the Ministry of Railways, to conduct statutory trials related to oscillation, braking, speed and system integration tests for the trains. The CMRS will issue the final sanction after receiving the ISA certificate.

Officials said the ISA certification process is already underway, with new signalling software currently being tested. Final approvals are expected by May-June, after which the trains can be introduced into service.

The new trains have been supplied by China's CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd, which will deliver a total of 21 trains for the Purple and Green lines in partnership with the West Bengal-based Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd (TRSL). Currently, the network operates with 57 trains supplied by BEML.