Summary:
Bareilly: The long-awaited research on monkey malaria is in limbo as the approval given by principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) to collect blood samples of monkeys for research has expired with the health department failed to finalise monkey catchers for the project. Last year, there was an outbreak of malaria in the district and more than 30,000 persons were tested positive for it.Bharat Lal, divisional forest officer, said, “PCCF (wildlife) Pawan Kumar had given time for collecting blood samples from monkeys till January 31. Though we had provided contact details of monkey catchers, they were not finalised and the time has now lapsed.”Dr Pramila Gaur, additional director (health), Bareilly division, said, “We will send a letter to the forest department seeking approval once again for collecting blood samples of monkeys. The parasite has a life-cycle of 24 hours and can give rise to daily fever spikes occurring 9-12 days after infection.According to officials, a team of researchers had found monkey malaria in humans on Andaman and Nicobar Islands, but the study has not yet been conducted in any other part of the country. As this study will be helpful in dealing with malaria cases in the future, we will go ahead with it.”After malaria outbreak in the district, the health department had approached Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) to test blood samples of monkeys to rule out the possibility of plasmodium knowlesi, a malaria parasite found in monkeys in Southeast Asia.According to World Health Organisation, humans can be infected with monkey malarial parasite while staying in rainforests or their fringe areas in Southeast Asia within the range of the natural monkey hosts and mosquito vector of this infection..