Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus

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1. Classification

Flaviviridae; flavivirus

2. Description and significance

The Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) is a tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever (Murhekar et. al., 2015). First discovered in 1956, is endemic to forested areas of southern India. Originally indigenous to the Shimoga district in the Karnataka state, it has gradually spread to other parts of southern Asia causing epidemics in the recent decades (Devendra, 2012; Nichter 1987). A major driving factor in its eminence was deforestation which brought monkeys in closer contact to humans (Gould et al,. 2008). The KFD virus (KFDV) was first identified in sick monkeys of the Kyasanur forest during a series of epizootic outbreaks. The black-faced langur (Presbytis entellus), the red-faced bonnet monkey (Macaca radiata) and humans are susceptible to KFDV. Ticks act as a vector for the virus. They feed on the blood of the infected organism and fall off when the host dies, creating a hotspot for infection of humans (Mehla et. al., 2009). Persons with occupational exposures to the forest (i.e., herders, farmers, forest workers, hunters) are especially at a high risk for infection. Consequently, KFD has become a concern for public health authorities of the area and surrounding locations (Mehla et. al., 2009).

Recently, research of KFDV has focused on transmission, diagnostic procedures and vaccination. Efforts are continually made to determine patterns of transmission in order to rule out human to human contagion possibility. Fortunately, nosocomial infections have never been reported (Mehla, 2009). The improvement of accurate and promptly accessible diagnostic tests have given health officials greater ability to treat the infection and the development of vaccines and vaccination strategies allow for additional prevention (Mourya 2012; Kasabi 2013). However, the current vaccine is not very effective (Murhekar et al., 2015). Furthermore, the virus has been tracked to parts of China (Wang, 2009) and closely related species to Saudi Arabia (Mehla, 2009), indicating the necessity to improve awareness and knowledge of KFD. Despite the efforts made to control and track KFDV, the virus still causes large numbers of cases of encephalitis and hemorrhagic fever across patients (Pattinaik, 2006). With increasing global temperatures and the transport of goods across the world, it is imperative to regulate its spread and the spread of other flaviviruses (Gould, 2008).

3. Genome structure

As part of the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) family Flaviviridae, this virus contains a spherical positive single-stranded RNA molecule of 11,000 bases in length (Chambers et al. 1990; Pattnaik, 2006; Heinz & Stiasny, 2012).

4. Morphology

Describe important sources of energy, electrons, and carbon (i.e. trophy) for the organism/organisms you are focusing on, as well as important molecules it/they synthesize(s).

5. Ecology

Habitat; symbiosis; contributions to the environment.

7. Pathology and Diagnostics

How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

8. Current Research in Related Viruses

Include information about how this microbe (or related microbes) are currently being studied and for what purpose