Kyasanur forest disease A98.2

Tick-borne flavivirus infection (arbovirosis)

Discovered 1955-1957 in a forest area on the southwest coast of India (Mysore); described as a zoonosis that affected several monkeys ("monkey disease"); later humans also became ill; initially classified as a variant of Russian encephalitis, in 1990 it was recognised as a separate disease.

Occurrence in western India (Mysore) and north-east Pakistan

Enzootic between ticks and small rodents, monkey and man are random hosts

Incubation period: 3-8 days

Headache, myalgia, arthralgia

from the 3rd day on, in case of severe disease progression, bleeding tendency from the nasal-oral mucosa and gastrointestinal tract

after 1-2 weeks of disease-free interval, renewed increase in fever, encephalitis, bradycardia, lymphadenopathy (cervical and axillary), hypotension

The disease leaves homologous immunity.

Leukopenia, thrombopenia, prolongation of bleeding time

Leucuria, proteinuria

Increase in transaminases

Protein and sugar increase in the liquor lumbalis

hemorrhagic forms

delayed convalescence with psychoneurovegetative symptoms

Residues rare

Mortality low at 3-5

Exposure prophylaxis against ticks (like repellents [e.g. Icaridin])

Tick control

Vaccine (killed, purified KFD viruses) regionally available.

As early as 1957 there were reports of a fatal disease in monkeys in the Kyasanur jungle of the Shinoga district in India. The pathogen heard is related to the tick-borne encephalitis virus, the causative agent of Omsk hemorrhagic fever and West Nile virus.

According to IfSG §6, suspected illness, illness and death from virus-induced haemorrhagic fever must be reported.

1. Nielsen G et al (1996) Kyasanur-Wald disease. Virus diseases. In: Knobloch (edit.): Tropical and Travel Medicine. P. 295-296. Gustav Fischer 1996.