Yellow fever deaths rise to 125

Posted by admin Headlines, Health Saturday, February 27th, 2016

An ongoing yellow fever epidemic in Angola has killed 125 people out of 664 suspected cases since December 30, government statistics show, despite attempts to quell the outbreak. The centre of the health crisis remains the capital Luanda, where 92 people have died, the health ministry said on Friday. There is no specific treatment for yellow fever, a viral hemorrhagic disease which is transmitted by infected mosquitoes and found in tropical regions of Africa and Latin America’s Amazon region. Authorities launched a mass vaccination campaign earlier this month. The government has also urged residents to sterilise stagnant water before drinking it. Yellow fever vaccinations are routinely recommended for travellers to Angola, though the country had not previously seen a significant outbreak since 1986. World Health Organization figures show there are an estimated 130,000 cases of yellow fever reported yearly, causing 44,000 deaths worldwide each year, with 90 percent occurring in Africa.

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