What is Monkey Fever? What are its symptoms? All you need to know
Coronavirus is still a concern across India and with the emergence of different Covid-19 strains in the past 2 years, the virus doesn’t seem to fade away anytime soon. In a midst of the Covid-19 threat, the new virus known as monkey fever has attacked South India.
District Medical Officer Dr Sakeena told the news agency that that being a seasonal fever, the health authorities have already given an alert and urged local people to remain cautious.
Recently, a case of monkey fever has been reported in a 24-year man in Kerala’s Wayanad district. He has been admitted to Mananthavady medical College and is under medical observation. According to the medical officer, his condition is stable and another case of monkey fever has been reported so far.
But the main question is what exactly is monkey fever? What are the signs and symptoms of monkey fever?
What is Monkey Fever?
Monkey fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever spread by ticks that is endemic to the southern part of the country. It is medically known as Kyasanur forest disease because it was originally discovered in Kyasanur’s forests. Monkey fever disease belongs to the Flaviviridae family that also causes yellow fever and dengue fever. Insects and ticks are the most common carriers of this virus and are transmitted to humans via insect bites.
Monkey fever is also a vector-borne disease that mostly affects monkeys and humans. People who handle infected dead monkeys might also contract the virus.
What are the symptoms of Monkey Fever?
The initial symptom of monkey fever is usually a severe headache and cold. The patient can also experience bleeding from the nose, mouth, gums, and sometimes the gut four days following the onset of symptoms. This type of fever usually lasts 3 to 8 days. This disease has a mortality rate of between 3 percent and 5 percent.
Vomiting
Muscle Stiffness
Poor Reflexes
Severe Headache
Nausea
Poor vision
Mental Disorder
When was Monkey Fever first discovered?
The Kyasanur forest disease was first discovered in an infected monkey in Karnataka’s Kyasanur forest in 1957. After this, cases of this disease were registered in 400-500 humans every year.
There is no specific treatment for monkey fever yet. However, it is recommended to seek immediate medical help if you notice any symptoms.