ABSTRACT
Kyasanur Forest disease (KFD) is a febrile illness that was rst recognized in the Shimoga district of Karnataka state (then Mysore) of India in 1957, although the exact cause of its emergence was unknown then [1,2]. KFD is a zoonotic disease and has so far been localized largely to the Karnataka state, in spite of the fact that it was found occasionally in some other parts of India. The causative agent, KFD virus (KFDV), is a highly pathogenic member in the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae, causing a hemorrhagic disease in infected human beings. KFDV commonly infects monkeys; that is, black faced langur (Presbytis entellus) and red faced bonnet monkey (Macaca radiate). KFDV gets transmitted by the bite of infective ticks (Haemaphysalis spinigera), especially at its nymphal stage and the ticks remain infectious throughout their lives. KFDV also circulates in small animals such as rodents, shrews, and birds [3]. Large animals serve as a good host for tick proliferation, but they do not suffer from the disease. KFDV transmitting adult ticks (Haemaphysalis spinigera) commonly feed on the large animals. Neutralizing antibodies have been found in large animals like cattle, buffalos, goats, wild bears, and also from a number of avian species (Table 18.1), but they hardly suffer from KFD. Direct transmission of the virus from rodents to humans has been documented; however, person-to-person transmission is not yet known.
