Two elderly women were reported to have been died due to monkey fever this year, while several others were treated for the disease. Last year there were five deaths due to KFD.
“When a person dies at the age of 70 or 75 it cannot be called as death due to monkey fever. It is a natural death,” Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said. “Average life of a Goan is around 70 years. After 60-70 years, the immunity of the person decreases,” he said.
Health Minister Francis D’Souza said that both the women died due to other ailments though traces of monkey fever were found in their bodies and they were treated for that. “The second woman who died was already a high diabetic patient and as per doctor’s report she died due to that (diabetes),” D’Souza said.
“Though traces of monkey fever were found in her body you cannot link her death to that (monkey fever). Even in the case of the first lady she had high blood pressure which took her life. Both the women were above 65 years,” he said.
The government has started a mass awareness campaign after monkey fever began spreading across Sattari taluka.
The minister said that last year 2,000 vaccines were obtained of which 600 were used. “People are not coming forward to take the vaccines. They are eight doses over a period of five years,” he said.
