Angola - 2016 Yellow Fever: 250 dead

[Pathfinder]

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 12:07 - Updated Fri, 29 Jan 2016 12:07

Hu?la: Four people feared dead of yellow fever

Lubango - Four people are believed to have died of yellow fever on Thursday in the municipality of Caluquembe, southern Huila province.

The information was released by Hu?la health authorities who added the four were part of seven suspect cases of yellow fever reported in Caluquembe, some 117 kilometres of the capital, Lubango.

...the head of the local Health Department said the suspect cases were brought by patients who arrived from Luanda.
...

http://www.portalangop.co.ao/angola...ver,9abcf6d9-9604-4c55-9bd6-9424fb31a252.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Mon, 01 Feb 2016 16:13 - Updated Mon, 01 Feb 2016 16:13

Campaign on combat yellow fever set for Tuesday

Luanda - A mega-campaign to fight against yellow fever will be launched on Tuesday in Viana municipality, where the disease started, hitting the country's capital since last December, Angop has learnt.
...
Over last week the country recorded 38 suspect cases of yellow fever that resulted in 10 deaths, with Viana municipality, Luanda, topping the list (13 new cases and four deaths).

Compared to the previous week, there was an increase of 23 cases mare, with the figure jumping from 15 to 38.
...
The last yellow fever outbreaks were recorded in 1971 and 1986.


http://www.portalangop.co.ao/angola...day,4a9c01d3-01e0-4419-a67a-c72bcbd620e1.html

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/37-die-of-yellow-fever-outbreak-in-angola/


37 die of yellow fever outbreak in Angola
Posted By: Agency reporteron: February 11, 2016

A yellow fever outbreak in Angola has killed 37 people since December 2015, with eight new cases reported in the last 24 hours.

The country?s National Director of Health, Mr Adelaide de Carvalho, stated this late Wednesday as the news caused panic across the nation...

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.who.int/csr/don/12-february-2016-yellow-fever-angola/en/
[h=1]Yellow Fever ? Angola[/h] 12 February 2016 - On 21 January 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Angola notified WHO of an outbreak of yellow fever.
The first cases were identified in the district of Viana (Luanda province) on 5 December 2015. Yellow fever infection was initially confirmed in three patients by polymerase chain reaction at the Zoonosis and Emerging Disease Laboratory of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, South Africa and at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar, Senegal.
As of 8 February, a total of 164 suspected cases and 37 deaths had been reported in Angola. The majority of cases (n=138) had been reported in the province of Luanda. Other affected provinces include Cabinda, Cuanza Sul, Huambo, Huila and Uige. Suspected cases are undergoing laboratory testing in order to rule out other aetiologies and cross reactions with yellow fever.
[h=3]Public health response[/h] The national task force has been activated to control the outbreak. Health authorities in Angola are implementing a number of control and response activities, including coordination, clinical case management, enhanced surveillance, laboratory testing, social mobilization and vector control. Epidemiological and entomological investigations are ongoing in the main affected areas. On 3 February, the first round of immunization campaign started in Luanda.
WHO has deployed three experts to provide operational support. In addition to financial support, technical directives and guidelines have been shared with country officials to improve the quality of the response.
On 2 February, an immunization campaign was launched in Luanda. The campaign will initially cover a target population of 1,578,085 in Viana.
[h=3]WHO risk assessment[/h] In the affected districts of Luanda, there is a high density of Aedes Aegypti, the primary vector of yellow fever; consequently, the risk of spread to unaffected districts is high. This risk is further exacerbated by the high proportion of susceptible individuals, as the only protected groups are the citizens with international vaccination cards and those children that have been vaccinated against yellow fever since 2008. WHO continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and conduct risk assessment. WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restriction to Angola based on the current information available.
[h=3]Background[/h] Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Up to 50% of severely affected persons without treatment will die from yellow fever. There are an estimated 130,000 cases of yellow fever reported yearly, causing 44,000 deaths worldwide each year, with 90% occurring in Africa. There is no specific treatment for yellow fever. Treatment is symptomatic, aimed at reducing the symptoms for the comfort of the patient. Vaccination is the most important preventive measure against yellow fever. Since the second half of 2015, yellow fever virus circulation has been reported in Mali and Ghana.

 

[Pathfinder]

Fri, 12 Feb 2016 19:57 - Updated Fri, 12 Feb 2016 19:57

Angola: Over 50 feared dead of yellow fever

Luanda - At least 51 people are feared to have died of yellow fever from December 30, 2015 to February 11 this year in Angola.

The information was released Friday in Luanda by the national director of Public Health of the Health Ministry, who said the above number is part of the 240 suspect cases reported in the period in respect.

Adelaide de Carvalho was speaking at a ?Coffee of Ideas? meeting with journalists intended to inform the media professionals about the ongoing yellow fever prevention and combat measures.

According to the official, the municipality of Viana, Luanda, is the most affected by the disease, with 92 suspect cases and 29 deaths, followed by southern Hu?la province with 30 cases and six deaths.

She said 33 cases and 11 deaths have been reported over the last 24 hours, with Viana leading with eight cases and six deaths.

"We are experiencing a case of epidemic and any person is liable of contracting the disease. The direction is vaccinating the pregnant women above three months of pregnancy, in order to protect the child,? she stressed.
...

http://www.portalangop.co.ao/angola...ver,c9efdc26-3ef7-491e-9cc6-5b77bd46210f.html

 

[Pathfinder]

Yellow fever death toll hits 99 in Angola

REPORTfrom Agence France-Presse Published on 22 Feb 2016

Luanda, Angola | AFP | Monday 2/22/2016 - 16:43 GMT

An ongoing yellow fever epidemic in Angola has killed 99 people out of 462 suspected cases since December 30, statistics showed Monday, despite government attempts to quell the outbreak.

The centre of the health crisis is the capital Luanda's eastern suburb of Viana where 29 dead out of 173 suspected cases have been reported, according to the health ministry.

...
http://reliefweb.int/report/angola/yellow-fever-death-toll-hits-99-angola

 

[Pathfinder]

Angola: Yellow fever death toll rises to 125

2 hours ago

Yellow fever epidemic in Angola has so far killed 125 people out of 664 suspected cases since December last year despite attempts to quell the outbreak, government statistics revealed.

The first case of yellow fever was reported on 5 December 2015 in a Eritrea citizen in the district of Viana . Since then, cases have been reported from a number of provinces to include Bie, Benguela, Cunene and eight other provinces.

Among the strongly hit provinces is the capital, Luanda, with a total of 99 deaths among 461 suspected cases, according to the figures provided on Friday evening by the Health Department.
...
http://www.africanews.com/2016/02/27/angola-yellow-fever-death-toll-rises-to-125/

 

[Pathfinder]

Translation Google

March 11, 2016 | 13:50 - Last Updated March 11, 2016 | 13:50

Kwanza Sul: Political want speed in the procurement of vaccines against yellow fever

Sumbe - The executive secretary of Kwanza Sul Convergence Wide Salvation of Angola (CASA-CE), Domingos Sobral urged today in Sumbe, health facilities quickly in the purchase of vaccines for immunization of the population against yellow fever.

Speaking to the press, the official said that "we live with the problem of amartela fever, the strange thing is that not yet started a vaccination campaign for families to be immunized and thus prevent yourself from disease."

"We want to speed this process under penalty of being later difficulties to do so, taking into account that have been reported cases even death, mainly in the districts of Sumbe and Amboim," noted Domingos Sobral.

Thursday, the provincial health director, Abreu Undongo confirmed that health authorities dectetaram in the districts of Sumbe and Amboim, the presence of Aedes aegypti, the transmitter of the disease.

He explained that in the province were recorded six confirmed cases, four of which ended in deaths, adding that these people were from Luanda (Viana).

At the time Abreu Udongo urging people to heed the advice of sensitizers since the virus of yellow fever is deadly.

http://www.portalangop.co.ao/angola...ela,bb75f13d-49dc-4941-b8ee-21633fe9cf47.html

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4689491&Itemid=1

138 Deaths Due to Yellow Fever Outbreak in Angola

Luanda, Mar 12 (Prensa Latina) The number of deaths due to a yellow fever outbreak in Angola rose to 138.

Most of them occurred in the municipality of Viana, according to the latest epidemiological bulletin released today by the health authorities.

The bulletin says that the total number of confirmed cases is 65, of 813 suspected cases...

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.punchng.com/yellow-fever-kills-250-in-angola/

Yellow fever kills 250 in Angola
March 15, 2016

A yellow fever epidemic in Angola has killed at least 250 people since the end of December and continues to spread, stretching limited resources, doctors and officials said Tuesday.

The head of the Luanda pediatrics hospital, Mateus Campos, said 27 children died there on Monday alone, with 900 suspected cases turning up each day.

?We don?t have the human resources to cope,? Campos added.

Health ministry spokeswoman Adelaide de Carvalho told AFP that the ministry registered 76 suspect cases and 10 deaths in three days alone this month, but gave no overall toll.

A week ago the World Health Organisation put the death toll at 250 but some doctors believe the situation may be far worse...

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/angolas-yell...es-158-amid-luandas-sanitation-crisis-2339027

Angola's Yellow Fever Outbreak Death Toll Rises To 158 Amid Luanda's Sanitation Crisis
By Morgan Winsor @MorganWinsor On 03/18/16 AT 8:10 AM

A yellow fever outbreak in Angola that started late last year has claimed 158 lives, with a majority of the deaths from the disease occurring in the past month alone, the World Health Organization said Friday. Most of the victims were residents of the bustling capital Luanda, which has seen an increase in malaria, cholera and chronic diarrhea, due in part to deteriorated sanitation conditions.

"This is an urban pattern of outbreak of Yellow Fever, and it is much more complicated to tackle and deal with," Hernando Agudelo Ospina, the World Health Organization representative in Luanda, told Reuters. "The possibility of spreading out to other provinces or even to the all country is much higher than if it had happened in a rural area."...

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.who.int/csr/don/22-march-2016-yellow-fever-angola/en/
[h=1]Yellow Fever ? Angola[/h] Disease Outbreak News
22 March 2016

On 21 March, the Ministry of Health of Angola provided WHO with an update on the ongoing outbreak of yellow fever (YF), which started on 5 December 2015 in the Viana municipality, Luanda province.
As of 21 March, 16 of the country?s 18 provinces have reported YF suspected cases ? 13 of these provinces have reported imported cases linked to Luanda. Local transmission of the disease was documented in 2 of the 11 municipalities of Huambo province. Other provinces have reported autochthonous suspected cases with no epidemiological links to Luanda. These cases are being investigated and outcomes of these investigations will be known in the following days.
To date, at least 1,132 suspected and confirmed cases have been reported nationally, including 168 deaths. A total of 375 cases have been laboratory-confirmed. Luanda, the outbreak epicentre, remains the main affected province with 818 cases (281 confirmed confirmed), including 129 deaths. However, the number of cases reported in provinces other than Luanda is apparently increasing.
[h=3]Public health response[/h] A national task force was activated and is now leading the response to the outbreak. WHO is providing support for the coordination of the response operations. On 12 February, WHO declared this outbreak a ?grade 2 emergency?, in accordance with the Emergency Response Framework (ERF). Since then, 65 WHO multidisciplinary experts have been deployed to provide high-level technical support to the country.
The Immunization campaign in Luanda, which started on 2 February in Viana, is still ongoing and has so far been implemented in 6 municipalities out of the targeted 12. Three municipalities are reporting high coverage rates (≥90%) while other municipalities are reporting even higher rates (136% in Viana and 113% in Bela) probably due to people coming from other districts of Luanda as well as other provinces.
Surveillance and investigations of newly affected areas are ongoing as well as social mobilization activities. So far, vector control activities are mainly oriented to the control of the mosquito breeding sites.
[h=3]WHO risk assessment[/h] The evolution of the situation in Angola is concerning and needs to be closely monitored in the whole African region. Partly, the reported drastic increase in the number of confirmed cases could be attributed to backlog testing. However, the dates of symptom onset of the recently-confirmed cases indicate that transmission is still active in Luanda ? mainly in unimmunized districts and probably in other provinces. Surveillance is reportedly not optimal, especially in the border areas, and a higher number of suspected cases cannot be excluded.
Of particular concern is the cross border and international spread risk of the disease, which has already been documented, with cases recently rumoured to have been exported to China, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo. WHO continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and conduct risk assessments based on the latest available information. It is important to know that imported cases do not represent an outbreak. Although the threat of an outbreak exists, this is considered to be low when the risk factors (susceptible vectors and susceptible human populations) are not present.
[h=3]WHO advice[/h] WHO urges Members States, especially those where the establishment of a local cycle of transmission is possible (i.e. where the competent vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is present), to strengthen the control of immunisation status of travellers to all potentially endemic epidemic areas.
In the context of an active Yellow fever outbreak in Angola, special attention should also be placed on travellers returning from Angola and other potential epidemic areas. Travellers, particularly those arriving to Asia from Africa or Latin America must have a certificate of yellow fever vaccination. If there are medical grounds for not getting vaccinated, International Health Regulations state that this must be certified by the appropriate authorities.
WHO does not recommend any restriction of travel and trade to Angola on the basis of the information available on this outbreak. The vaccination of each person before going to the affected areas as well as measures to avoid mosquito bites are sufficient for the prevention of the disease.

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.who.int/features/2016/angola-worst-yellow-fever/en/
[h=1]Angola grapples with worst yellow fever outbreak in 30 years[/h] March 2016

Angola is grappling with a yellow fever outbreak, which has infected more than 450 people and killed 178 ? the first epidemic of the disease to hit the country in 30 years.
The outbreak, which was first reported in the capital city Luanda in December 2015, has since spread to 6 of the country?s 18 provinces.
?Such outbreaks usually occur in tropical rainforests,? explains Dr Sergio Yactayo, expert on epidemic diseases at WHO. ?With the majority of cases reported in the capital city Luanda, the situation is more dangerous and difficult to contain because the disease can spread easily from one person to another. We are already seeing cases spread to a number of provinces outside Luanda.?
Yellow fever virus is transmitted by infected mosquitoes, the most common species being Aedes aegypti ? the same mosquito that spreads the Zika virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. A small percentage of infected people experience a second more severe phase of illness which includes high fever, jaundice and internal bleeding. At least half of severely affected patients who don?t receive treatment die within 10 to 14 days.
Angola is one of 34 countries in Africa where yellow fever occurs, and vaccination against the disease is recommended.
[h=3]Vaccination a powerful weapon but in short supply[/h] WHO has taken urgent action to contain this outbreak, working with the Angolan Ministry of Health and partners to vaccinate people in the affected provinces. As of 24 March 2016, WHO and partners have vaccinated 5.7 million people in Luanda against yellow fever using vaccines from the International Coordination Group emergency stockpile.
WHO has established an incident management system and deployed around 65 experts in epidemiology, vector control, community engagement and other areas to support the vaccination campaign.
WHO?s recently established Contingency Fund for Emergencies released US$ 500 000 to enable a rapid response to this outbreak in Angola and WHO?s African Public Health Emergency Fund has provided US$ 289 383. WHO has also supported the development of an emergency response plan to provide an additional US$ 3 million funds from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to cover 50% of the costs of the vaccines for the province of Luanda.
[h=3]Vaccine storage[/h] ?The vaccination campaign has so far been effective. We are seeing case numbers dropping considerably, especially in Luanda. However, we have to keep going and vaccinate all the people in Luanda and the affected provinces to end this outbreak. This is an enormous job which is exhausting supplies of vaccines,? says Dr Yactayo.
Whilst concerted efforts are being made to stop the outbreak, there is a global vaccine shortage, with the emergency stockpile completely depleted. An additional 1.5 million doses are needed to vaccinate the population at risk in Luanda province alone.
With the spread of the outbreak to other provinces in Angola and increasing numbers of imported cases reported by countries in Africa, WHO requests prioritizing vaccination of people at highest risk. WHO is in discussion with manufacturers and partners to divert shipments of vaccines for national routine immunization programmes until the emergency stockpile is replenished.
Partners working with WHO and the Ministry of Health include UNICEF, CDC/Atlanta, CORE Group, M?dicins Sans Fronti?res, Medicos del Mundo, the National Red Cross of Angola and local community based organizations.
[h=3]Yellow fever reports in other countries[/h] Cases of yellow fever have been exported during this outbreak by travellers to countries including China, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Kenya. Namibia and Zambia are on high alert for imported cases.

 

[tetano]

[h=1]Will Angola's Yellow Fever Outbreak Be 'Another Zika?'[/h] The world may be fixated on Zika virus, but in Angola, there's a more pressing infectious disease spread by mosquitos to worry about.
A yellow fever outbreak that began in the capital city of Luanda in December has infected 450 people and killed 178, according to the World Health Organization. The mosquito-transmitted disease has since spread to six of Angola's 18 provinces.
"Yellow fever, in and of itself, is a bad disease," Dr. Gregory Poland, head of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group and editor-in-chief of the journal Vaccine, told HuffPost. According to the WHO, the disease affects between 84,000 and 170,000 people each year, killing about 60,000 annually.
In stage one of the disease, symptoms of yellow fever include fever, muscle pain, backache, headache, shivers, appetite loss, nausea and vomiting. If a patient moves into stage two, he or she can develop jaundice, abdominal pain and bleeding from the mouth, nose, eyes or stomach, and bloody vomit or feces.

...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/yellow-fever-outbreak-angola_us_56fe6728e4b0a06d580567a2

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/05/health/yellow-fever-outbreak-angola-who.html?_r=0


Yellow Fever Outbreak in Angola Strains Health Organizations
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. APRIL 4, 2016

Angola is experiencing a major urban yellow fever outbreak that threatens other countries, including China, and is exposing how poorly prepared the world is to fight two mosquito-borne epidemics at once.

Angola?s outbreak, which is known to have killed about 200 people, has already consumed the World Health Organization?s emergency stockpile of yellow fever vaccine...

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.who.int/csr/don/13-april-2016-yellow-fever-angola/en/

[h=1]Yellow fever ? Angola[/h] Disease Outbreak News
13 April 2016

On 21 January 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Angola notified WHO of an outbreak of yellow fever (YF). The first case with onset date on 5 December 2015 was identified in Viana municipality, Luanda province.
As of 7 April 2016, a total of 1,708 suspected cases, including 238 deaths (CFR: 13.9%), had been reported from 16 of the country?s 18 provinces. Luanda remains the most affected province with 1,135 cases (405 confirmed), including 165 deaths (CFR: 14. 5%). The other most affected provinces are Huambo (266 suspected cases, 37 deaths), Huila (95 suspected cases, 16 deaths) and Benguela (51 suspected cases, 0 deaths). Between 6 and 7 April, 30 new suspected cases, including 4 deaths, were reported across the country ? 19 of these suspected cases and 2 of the reported deaths came from Luanda.
A total of 581 cases have been laboratory confirmed in 59 districts of 12 provinces. Luanda province, the epicentre of the outbreak, accounts for 70% of the confirmed cases (405 cases). Other provinces with a high number of confirmed cases include Huambo (73 cases), Huila (27 cases), Benguela (22 cases) and Kuanza Sul (11 cases). From 6 to 7 April, 30 new confirmed cases were reported from Luanda (19), Huambo (4), Cuanza Sul (2), Cunene (2), Bengo (1), Lunda Norte (1) and Uige (1). The number of laboratory confirmed cases in provinces other than Luanda continues to increase. The risk of spread to other provinces and to neighbouring countries remains very high.
Transmission of the disease is no longer restricted to Luanda. As of 7 April 2016, the National Final Classification Committee had confirmed local transmission in five other provinces (Benguela, Cuanza Sul, Huambo, Huila and Uige) and in a total of 10 districts.
In addition, international spread of the disease has already been documented. Recent imported cases of YF have in fact been detected in China, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (see DONs published on 11 and 6 April).
[h=3]Public health response[/h] A national task force established by the government of Angola is leading the response to the outbreak. On 29 March, WHO graded the outbreak as a level 2 emergency on the Emergency Response Framework (ERF) grading scale ? the ERF grading scale has three levels. WHO and partner organizations, including UNICEF, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, M?decins Sans Fronti?res (MSF) and Medicos del Mundo, are providing assistance with the coordination of the response. An incident manager has been appointed at WHO and 65 WHO multidisciplinary experts have been deployed to provide high-level technical support to the country.
Between 3 and 6 April, the WHO Director General, the WHO Regional Director for Africa and the WHO AFRO Health Security and Emergencies cluster Director visited Angola to assess the ongoing response and provide high-level leadership support. The delegation met the Minister of Health, other Government Officials and His Excellency the President of the Republic of Angola. Decisions were made to take necessary measures to end the outbreak by 15 May 2016.
Interventions are ongoing to enhance surveillance. These include epidemiological investigation, data management, early detection and confirmation of cases as well as final classification of cases by an established classification committee. Experts from Cuba are providing technical support to the country with the training of vector control specialists.
The immunization campaign in Luanda, which started on 2 February in Viana municipality, has been completed in 7 out of the province?s 12 districts and is still ongoing in the remaining five districts. As of 7 April, a total of 5,892,901 (90%) people had been vaccinated in Luanda. Preparation has started for the upcoming yellow fever vaccination campaign in 2 districts of Huambo and 3 of Benguela. On 7 April, the International Coordinating Group (ICG) for Vaccine Provision released 1.9 million vaccine doses. The social mobilization activities are being reinforced. Radio, TV and other media are being used to raise public awareness and encourage people to get vaccinated, with a special focus on vulnerable areas in all districts of Luanda.
The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has approved a request of 3 million dollars to support the purchase of vaccines. In addition, the government of Angola has committed 15 million USD for the purchase of the yellow fever vaccine in addition to the payment of the 50% of the cost of the vaccines already received for the province of Luanda.
Current challenges include the need of vaccines to complete reactive immunization, the control of the geographical spread of the outbreak within the country and to neighbouring countries. There also needs for more operational funds, adequate and sufficient vector control interventions to improve response activities in the other provinces. A close follow-up of preparedness measures in neighbouring countries is required to ensure the timely detection and management of any imported cases.
[h=3]WHO risk assessment[/h] The evolution of the situation in Angola is concerning and needs to be closely monitored. The reports of imported cases of YF in China, DRC and Kenya demonstrate that this outbreak constitutes a potential threat for the entire world. There is a risk for the further spread of the disease in view of the large international communities residing in Angola and the frequent travel activities with neighbouring and overseas countries. Furthermore, all countries where the mosquito vector (Aedes species) is present are at risk, notably those endemic for or previously affected by outbreaks of Dengue, Chikungunya or Zika virus and other arboviruses. Therefore, there is an urgent need to strengthen the quality of the response in Angola and to enhance preparedness activities in neighbouring countries and in countries that have diaspora communities in Angola. WHO continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and conduct risk assessment based on the latest available information.
[h=3]WHO advice[/h] WHO urges Members States especially those where the establishment of a local cycle of transmission is possible (i.e., where the Aedes mosquitoes are present) to strengthen the control of immunization status of travellers to all potentially endemic areas and the surveillance of potential YF cases.
In the context of an ongoing YF outbreak in Angola, special attention should also be placed on travellers returning from Angola and other potentially endemic areas. Travellers, particularly those arriving in Asia from Africa or Latin America should always have a certificate of YF vaccination. If there are medical grounds for not getting vaccinated, the International Health Regulations (2005) state that this must be certified by the appropriate authorities.
WHO does not recommend any restriction of travel and trade to Angola based on the current information available.

 

[Shiloh]

Source: http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN0XN106

WHO says Angola yellow fever danger greatest in urban areas
Tue Apr 26, 2016 9:44am GMT

GENEVA (Reuters) - Travelers to Angola must be vaccinated against yellow fever and carry a valid certificate to prove it, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, advising that people are at greatest risk in large urban areas including the capital Luanda.

An epidemic that erupted in December has caused 1,975 suspected cases and killed 258 people since December, the WHO said in a statement...

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Yellow Fever Kills 277, Infects 2,000+ in Angola: WHO
by MAGGIE FOX

Yellow fever has killed 277 people in Angola and infected more than 2,000 others ? and it's spread to other countries, too, the World Health Organization said Friday.

There's a global shortage of vaccine to protect people against the virus, which is a close cousin of Zika but much more deadly.

Image: BRAZIL-HEALTH-ZIKA-FILE
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes at an entomology laboratory in Fort-de-France, Martinique, in 2010. PATRICE COPPEE / AFP - Getty Images file
"The virus in Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo is largely concentrated in main cities and is likely to have been introduced to the cities following increased yellow fever viral circulation among monkeys in the forest," WHO said in a bulletin.

"There is a high risk of spread to neighboring countries."
...
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zi...er-kills-277-infects-2-000-angola-who-n569301