The death of villagers from Goa (Pali village) and Kerala (Ezhupathimoonnu Kattunayakka tribal hamlet) has been attributed to KFD. While the disease transmission is established in Kerala and Karnataka, this is the first report of a fatality from KFD from Goa. The problem with KFD in peri-sylvatic areas seems to be spreading wider.
The CDC Fact Sheet on KFD provides a lot of vital information on this matter.
The case from Kerala seems to belong to the subset of patients (around 10-20%) who experience a biphasic manifestation of KFD. The disease abates after initial symptoms suggestive of a viral hemorrhagic fever which runs its course in two weeks or so. From the third week onward, there is a fresh wave of symptoms, accompanied by neurological manifestations and severe complications, which may even result in death.
Scepticemia 