Yellow Fever Outbreak

The yellow fever outbreak in Angola, which already killed hundreds, is ‘threat to entire world’.

16:27 19 April 2016

Multiple cases of yellow fever were first reported in Angola’s capital Luanda in December. The disease has now spread to 16 of the country’s 18 provinces. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the outbreak is “a threat to the entire world”.

 

In a report, WHO said that thousands of people are suspected to have been infected with the disease and 238 people has died. The report added: "The evolution of the situation in Angola is concerning and needs to be closely monitored.”

 

The mosquito-borne virus has already spread to China, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where at least 21 people have died.

 

There are now concerns that the virus will spread faster due to the large international communities living in Angola that regularly travel to neighbouring countries.

 

WHO has called for "an urgent need to strengthen the quality of the response in Angola" and increase the control of travellers' immunisation status, when coming from areas affected by the virus.