64-year-old farmer succumbs to monkey fever

Bengaluru: A month after a woman in Sagar, Shivamogga, died due to the Kysanur Forest Disease (KFD), a farmer from Honneghatige village in Siddapur taluk of Uttara Kannada district died on Saturday taking the death toll to two.

The deceased has been identified as Bhaskar Ganapati Hegde (64), a resident of Malaguli in Honneghataki of Siddapura taluk.

Bhaskar died while he was being shifted to a hospital in Manipal from Shivamogga.

“Two cases of KFD have been confirmed in Siddapura. Viscera samples from the carcass of the monkey had also revealed the presence of the virus. We have enough stock of vaccines and are creating awareness among the public about vaccination,” Dr Ashok Kumar was quoted speaking to Deccan Herald.

The KFD surfaces in the Malnad areas from March to May but has popped up as early as January this year.