The Brazilian tourist capital has been invested in a massive vaccination campaign against yellow fever.
In the state of Rio de Janeiro, she recently went so far as to make a fatal case. Yellow fever continues to be the subject of a fight to stem its spread in southeastern Brazil. Since December 2016, at least 225 people have died from this infection, recalled the World Health Organization (WHO). 1,300 people have been infected with the virus.
Yellow fever indeed causes muscle pain and fever. It can also lead to complications such as jaundice or kidney failure. Infectious disease, it is transmitted by the mosquito. In fact, it has long been one of the deadliest tropical diseases.
Mass vaccination
Currently, it is the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and São Paulo that have front row seats despite having been free of the disease epidemic for years. As a result, in the city of Rio, a large preventive vaccination campaign is underway through 34 vaccination centers.
The Brazilian Ministry of Health plans that in 2017, the entire population of the State of Rio de Janeiro (which has more than 16 million inhabitants) will be vaccinated; reasoned decision following the first death linked to yellow fever in this state. More than 12 million doses of vaccine have been ordered to strengthen the fight against this disease in the country.
Caution for travelers
Remember that it is necessary for international travelers to take some precautions. For example, WHO now recommends vaccination against yellow fever for those traveling to rural areas in the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The recommendation therefore does not apply to tourists traveling to the very cities of Rio and São Paulo, which are also the two largest urban areas in Brazil – the epidemic is currently rural.
As it stands, no explanation has been put forward to explain how yellow fever made a comeback in Brazil, when the country had virtually eradicated the disease.
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