Kyasanur Forest Disease

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) initiates human clinical trials to develop an improved vaccine against Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD). The ongoing vaccine development effort targeting KFD viral disease.

Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD): 

Dimension	Key Details
Type of Disease	Viral disease caused by KFD virus
First Reported	1957; Shimoga District, Karnataka
Virus Classification	KFD virus is a member of the genus flavivirus and family Flaviviridae
Geographical Presence	Found in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, and Maharashtra
Mode of Spread to People	Primarily occurs through tick bites; hard ticks (Hemaphysalis spinigera) spread the virus to people
Other Hosts	Hard ticks spread the virus to animals like rodents and monkeys
Seasonality	Prevalent mainly in the dry season of November to June