Brazil: Yellow fever outbreak continues /update 3

Event

Health officials announced that as of Tuesday, January 30, 213 cases of yellow fever had been confirmed in the country, including 81 deaths, since July 1, 2017. The most affected areas include Minas Gerais, which is under a state of emergency, and São Paulo state. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a new travel advisory for Brazil on January 17, urging all travelers to São Paulo state to get vaccinated against the disease at least ten days before traveling due to the risk of a larger outbreak.

Vaccination campaigns are also currently planned for the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Bahia.

Context

Symptoms of yellow fever - a mosquito-borne disease - generally appear within three to six days following infection and include fever, chills, muscle and back pain, vomiting, headaches, and, in more serious cases, hemorrhaging and organ failure. The vaccine provides life-long immunity.

Various other mosquito-borne diseases are also present in Brazil, in both urban and rural areas, including dengue fever, chikungunya, and the Zika virus.

Advice

Individuals in or planning travel to the affected regions are advised to stay abreast of local epidemiological developments, consult their doctor regarding vaccination options, and continue to protect themselves against insects due to the presence of various mosquito-borne diseases (e.g. by wearing covering clothing, using insect repellent, and sleeping in screened-in and/or air conditioned rooms).

A full list of zones where the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends vaccination is available here.​