A 35 yr old man from Shimoga, Karnataka presents with sudden onset of fever, headache, and myalgia. He also has conjunctivitis and skin bleeds. He recently went to a forest in Shimoga that has a huge population of monkeys. Which of these is the vector for the suspected disease?: (A) Ticks, (B) Mosquito, (C) Fleas, (D) Mite
Answer is A. From the history and symptoms, the most likely diagnosis is Kyasanur forest disease, which is transmitted by ticks. It is a hemorrhagic fever found in Karnataka. These ticks may also act as reservoir. Monkeys act as amplifier hosts. Reference: Ananthanarayan and Paniker&;s Textbook of Microbiology Tenth edition