News
17 January 2008
Yellow fever in Brazil
Between 1 and 15 January 2008, 27 suspected cases of yellow fever have been reported by the Ministry of Health of Brazil, however, in six of these cases yellow fever has now been ruled out [1]. Of the remaining cases, six have been confirmed as yellow fever, of which five have died. One of the cases was a resident of the capital Brasilia; the area from which this infection was acquired is unknown. Another case, a resident of São Paulo, was thought to be infected in either Goiás or Mato Grosso do Sul state [2]. A vaccination campaign is underway in the affected areas.
Prior to these cases, in 2007, yellow fever was reported in monkeys in the Brazilian states of Goiás, Tocantins, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Distrito Federal and Mato Grosso do Sul. The only monkey cases that were confirmed were in Goiás [3].
The recent cases of yellow fever in Brazil highlight the importance of yellow fever vaccination for travellers to areas with a risk of yellow fever transmission.
Yellow fever is a serious viral disease affecting monkeys and humans in the tropical regions of the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa. The virus is transmitted via the bite of Aedes spp. or Haemogogus spp. mosquitoes. Aedes spp. mosquitoes feed predominantly during daylight hours.
Revised recommendations for travellers to Brazil
Travellers should take mosquito bite avoidance measures.
Yellow fever vaccine should be given to those 9 months of age and older travelling to the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Goiás, Maranhaõ, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins, and areas in the endemic zone of the states of Bahia, Paraná, Piauí, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo. Vaccination is also recommended for travel to Iguaçu Falls.
In addition, yellow fever vaccine should also now be given to those 9 months of age and older travelling to the states of Espírito Santo, the western part of Santa Catarina state and the Distrito Federal (Brasilia).
Vaccine is not recommended for travel only to coastal cities, including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador, Recife and Fortaleza.
There are specific contraindications and adverse events associated with yellow fever vaccine. A careful risk assessment should be made before administration and specialist advice sought as appropriate.
Specific advice regarding recommendations for vaccination and certificate requirements can be found in the NaTHNaC Country Information Pages.
References
1. Ministry of Health, Brazil. Febre amarela - Dados atualizados, 15 January 2008. Accessed 17 January 2008. Available at: http://portal.saude.gov.br/portal/aplicacoes/noticias/noticias_det
2. Ministry of Health, Brazil. Nota para a imprensa, 13 January 2008. Accessed 17 January 2008. Available at: http://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/febreamarela/materias/Nota_imp
3. Ministry of Health, Brazil. Ocorrência de mortes de macacos (epizootias) no Brasil, 2007 (in Portuguese). Accessed 11 January 2008. Available at: http://portal.saude.gov.br/portal/arquivos/pdf/nota_epizootias_pn
Disclaimer | Copyright | Privacy | Sitemap | Accessibility