Sociodemographic factors associated with Kyasanur forest disease in India - a retrospective study

Kyasanur forest disease (KFD) is a tick-borne disease in India affecting humans and two local non-human primate species. A critical knowledge gap in the scientific literature is the lack of information on how people's socio-demographic factors influence KFD occurrence. We analyzed available data on KFD from three data sources: a) 104 peer-reviewed articles using keyword searches on PubMed Central and Google Scholar, b) 116 Pro-MED reports, and c) an acute febrile illness surveillance dataset on KFD from a report by the Government of India. We performed statistical analyses to calculate the prevalence of KFD by state and differences in KFD cases by sex and age group. All three datasets used indicate that KFD cases and deaths have occurred predominantly in the 15 – 64 age group [literature: 87% cases and 95% deaths, Pro-MED: 78% cases and 78% deaths, AFI: 96% cases (no breakdown for AFI death data)]. Data reporting varies across states and is non-standardized. Inconsistent reporting of sociodemographic data on KFD in India has created a gap in our understanding of its impact on different social groups. Collecting and reporting data on sociodemographic factors is critical to understanding the epidemiology of KFD and designing effective public health interventions.