Kyasanur Forest Disease in India
Description
Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), an emerging tick-borne viral haemorrhagic fever, caused by Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus (KFDV) is now prevalent in Karnataka and its neighboring states along the Western Ghats region of India. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis for providing a comprehensive estimate of the overall prevalence of KFD in India. We also characterized its implications in terms of reservoir, vector and case fatality rates. Additionally, occupational and exposure hazards, co-morbidities/co-infections and clinical manifestations observed in KFD positive populations were also studied. The study outcome suggests that early detection and prompt response to KFD outbreaks will aid in its effective management and control.
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The systematic review was designed and conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines [19], however, the meta-analysis was performed implementing the MOOSE protocol (meta-evaluation of observational research in epidemiology) [20]. Data sources and searches The search terms “Kyasanur Forest Disease” and “Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus” were used in conjunction with “India” for searching for relevant peer-reviewed literature from four electronic databases: PubMed (699), Scopus (200), Web of Science (161) and Embase (78), while grey literature was surveyed on Google Scholar (100) from the year 2000 until the 15th January, 2025. We also reviewed reference list from all subsequent articles to identify additional potential information sources. After a detailed survey, a total of 1,238 articles were selected in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Exclusion and Inclusion criteria CoCoPop framework was used for the inclusion and exclusion criteria, which is tailor made for prevalence meta-analysis [21]. Studies were analysed based on the condition, disease or symptom being studied and how it is diagnosed (condition), the environmental factors that affect the prevalence (context) and the population in which the prevalence was being assessed (population). Cross-sectional studies, case-studies, cohorts, and case reports were all included for the analysis. Reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis studies were excluded from the search strategy. Studies not providing the necessary information or the language of the article not in English and lack of access to full text articles were all excluded. Also, studies assessing the validity of different diagnostic methods were excluded. Articles with relevant information on the prevalence of KFD infections in humans, monkeys and ticks, its clinical manifestations, possible occupational and exposure risks were selected for the systematic review. Quality assessment Two authors independently to assess the quality of included articles using US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool developed by National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) from the National Institute of Health [22]. Sources of bias (e.g., patient selection, performance, attrition, and detection), confounding variables, study power, the strength of causality in the association between interventions and outcomes and other factors were included for evaluating potential biases in study methods.
Institutions
- International Centre For Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology New Delhi
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences