Karnataka: Health Department Raises Doubts About Efficacy Of Monkey Fever Vaccine

BENGALURU, 7 MARCH 2019: After witnessing 12 deaths and 212 positive cases due to Kyasanur Forest Disease, also called monkey fever, in Karnataka in the last three months, the health department has raised concerns over the efficacy of vaccination.

 

Health minister Shivanand Patil said on Wednesday said some of the vaccinated individuals too were found to have been infected.

 

The KFD vaccine is produced by the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals, Bengaluru.

 

The health department has formed a committee headed by former bureaucrat Madan Gopal to come up with a comprehensive report on KFD outbreak. The government is also mulling setting up a research lab and a testing unit along with an improved vaccination production unit in Sagar or Shivamogga to handle outbreaks effectively. Currently, samples are being sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, and Manipal for testing.

 

"Of the 14 deaths, 12 were caused by KFD. Results are awaited in the case of two other deaths. At least two cases of vaccinated people getting infected have been reported. They were also on booster doses. We need to examine all aspects pertaining to KFD. Shiravante, Araladodu and Avinahalli village panchayats of Sagar taluk have been affected during this outbreak. Earlier, there were no cases reported in Aralagodu and the first one was in 2018," Patil said.

 

"Karnataka is producing vaccines for KFD and that's transported to Goa, Maharashtra and Kerala. We need to understand the pathogenesis or the manner of development of the disease," said Dr Shivakumar V, a retired medical officer and member of the committee working on tackling KFD.

 

Madan Gopal said joint efforts by the health, forest and animal husbandry departments can help tackle the infection effectively. The committee is likely to submit its report shortly.

 

"Currently, the vaccine needs to be taken every year and there is a lack of awareness, resistance among many villagers in the affected areas who frequent the forests. We need to work on a vaccine that boosts the immunity for five years, a vaccine that can be taken once in five years," said Madan Gopal.

 

The health minister said the government wants more work to be done on understanding what makes the virus virulent suddenly.ET Healthworld