Team Herald
VALPOI: Bringing much needed relief to the residents of Sattari taluka, there have been no deaths caused due to the’ Kyasanur Forest Disease’ (KFD) for a period of six months time as per records available.
It may be recalled that the KFD virus first hit Goa four years ago when it was first reported in the village of Pali, Sattari in 2015. Since then, there have been 469 patients who had tested positive in Sattari for KFD and the virus had led to the death of seven persons in total. In the first season, 30 patients were detected and there was one death reported. This was for the period of April, 2015 and the months prior. The second season, which started from December 2015 to May 2016, 277 villagers were tested positive and 3 deaths were reported. The next season, from November 2016 to May 2017, 88 villagers were detected positive and two deaths were reported. Then, from November 2017 to May 2018, 57 positive cases were reported and one death was reported. This year, from November 2018 to May 2019, 17 positive cases were reported but no fatal case. Villagers praised the doctors from the Valpoi Community Health Centre (CHC) for their successful in efforts in curbing the spread of KFD disease.
According to Dr. Gajanan Naik, CHC Valpoi Health Officer, 17 cases of KFD in this last season were detected by the Manipal Centre for Virus Research based at the CHC.
He linked the reduction in number of cases to the extensive advocacy program that had been carried out by the health dept. These included vaccination drives and the distribution of tick repellent oil to villagers who visit the forests. Pointing out that since the disease was first detected in Karntaka in 1957; experts had said it would have a 5 to 10 per cent mortality rate but that they have managed to bring it down to zero percent due to early detection and good management of their doctors.
Health professionals who worked to control KFD are Dr. Gajanan Naik, Dr. Shyam Kankonkar, Aqueeb Shaikh, Dr. Abhijit Wadkar, Dr. Sankesh Fadte, Dr. Amita Naik, Dr. Shashikant Shiolker, Dr. Amrish Naik, Dr. Varsha Kerkar, Dr. Pritija Parab, Dr. Panni Naik.
