AUTHOR=Vedachalam Srividya K. , Rajput Bhavesh L. , Choudhary Sushma , Narayanaswamy Darshan , Chandra Sharath , D. M. Pallavi , Rajagopal Padma M. , Dikid Tanzin 

TITLE=Kyasanur Forest Disease: An Epidemiological Investigation and Case-Control Study in Shivamogga, Karnataka, India-2022

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 69 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2024.1606715

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2024.1606715

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) is a viral zoonosis reported from Karnataka, India. We investigated cases in Shivamogga district, Karnataka, to describe epidemiology and identify risk factors in affected block in 2022.A case was a laboratory-confirmed KFD-positive resident of Shivamogga from 1 January-31 May 2022. We extracted KFD case-records from district surveillance. We conducted a 1:3 case-control study in Thirthahalli block. We enrolled laboratory-confirmed KFD-positive Thirthahalli residents from January-May 2022 as cases, and residents without 'fever with myalgia' as controls. We report adjusted (aOR) odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals (CI).Shivamogga reported 35 cases, median age 46 (4 -75) years, 51% males, and one death.Among 25 cases and 90 controls, knowledge of avoiding recent monkey death sites was low (cases=0%, controls=11%). Monkey death site within 500 metres [aOR=8.6(1.8-41.9)] and household tick exposure [aOR=3.7(1.3-10.7)] were independent risk factors.This was a lab-confirmed cluster of KFD cases in Thirthahalli, with residence in proximity of monkey death site and household tick exposure as significant risk factors. We recommend evaluating monkey carcass disposal and increasing awareness of tick protective measures,