European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

A REVIEW OF MONKEY FEVER - ZOONOTIC VIRAL TICK BORNE DISEASE

Ganagama Pravalika, Mallannagari Shivanjali and Kadarla Rohith Kumar*

ABSTRACT

Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) or Monkey fever is an emerging zoonotic viral tick borne disease affecting mainly monkeys. Every year lots of human cases are reporting with a morbidity rate of around 2–10% in South India. The etiological agent of KFD is Kyasanur Forest Disease virus (KFDV), a RNA virus of the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae. KFDV infection was reported mainly from wild primates and humans. The natural host of KFDV mainly involves wild primates: black faced langurs (Semnopithecus entellus) and red faced bonnet monkeys (Macaca radiata) and various tick species of genus Haemaphysalis high virus titers was noticed in black–napped hares, porcupines, flying squirrels, Malabargiant squirrels, three–striped squirrels, gerbils. In the transmission of KFDV, human act as a dead end host, with no sufficient viremia for further transmission. Kyasanur forest disease health disease among humans living in and around forests (KFD) is an important public and those whose livelihood depends on forests in certain parts of India.

Keywords: Kyasanur Forest Disease; Monkey fever; RNA virus; wild primates.