What is Kyasanur Forest Disease?
Recently, researchers found a new point-of-care test to be highly sensitive for rapid diagnosis of Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) which is emerging as a new public health problem & challenge in India.
Point-of-care tests
The point-of-care tests has been developed by ICMR-National Institute of Virology. It will be beneficial to diagnose KFD which is also called as monkey fever. This fever usually outbreaks in remote areas which lacks in well-equipped sample handling and laboratory testing facilities. Thus, point-of-care test will quickly manage the patient and control further spread of virus.
What is Kyasanur Forest Disease?
The disease is tick-borne viral haemorrhagic fever which is endemic to South-western part of India. It is caused by a virus from family Flaviviridae. Virus is transmitted to humans through bite of infected hard ticks, acting as a reservoir of KFD Virus.
KFD virus (KFDV)
It is a typical flavivirus having diameter of 40-60 nm. Genome of KFDV comprises of 10,774 nucleotides of single-stranded & positive-sense RNA which encodes a single polyprotein. Genome of KFDV is similar to that of Alkhurma Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, found in Saudi Arabia.
How virus is transmitted?
Monkeys are the main hosts for KFD virus. Humans contract infection after the bite of nymphs of tick.
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Month: Current Affairs - May, 2021