Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Yellow fever outbreaks in Nigeria, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo
III. Countries at risk of yellow fever
IV. Transmission and Symptoms of Yellow Fever
V. Prevention and Treatment of Yellow Fever
VI. Incubation Time and Affected Organs
VII. Control of Transmission in Urban Areas
VIII. Conclusion
The World Health Organization’s International Coordinating Group (ICG) has provided 1.4 million doses of yellow fever vaccines for immunization campaigns to help Nigeria combat fever outbreaks. The country has suspected over 250+ yellow fever cases and timely provisioning of vaccines to the country is expected to control the spread of yellow fever.
Last year, Angola and the Democratic Republic of witnessed yellow fever outbreaks in their respective regions.
Nearly 35 countries in Africa and 13 countries in South America are viewed as the population at risk, according to the WHO.
The yellow fever virus is an arbovirus of the flavivirus genus and is transmitted by mosquitoes, belonging to the Aedes and Haemogogus species. The different mosquito species live in different habitats – domestic and Jungle.
Yellow fever is spread by infected mosquitoes and the symptoms include fever, headache, jaundice, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.
A smaller percentage of patients contracting the virus develop severe health issues and almost half of the individuals contracting the virus die within 7 – 10 days. The virus is prevalent in the tropical areas of Africa and South America.
The yellow fever is preventable through vaccines. Studies have shown that it is effective 99% within 30 days of vaccination. For those infected with the virus, supportive treatments enhance survival rates and as of now, there are no anti-viral drugs for yellow fever.
The virus has an incubation time of 3 to 6 days before experiencing symptoms. Usually, liver and Kidney is the most affected organs in the cases of yellow fever. The risk of transmission in urban areas can be controlled by eliminating mosquito breeding sites by applying larvicides to water storage containers. Aedes aegypti is the most commonly known vector in central and South American countries.