Two dead from yellow fever

Two people have died in Senegal from yellow fever and 15 cases were confirmed in Mbacke and Bambey towns in the central Diourbel region, by the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday.

"All cases except one were in the city of Touba. The other case was reported in Bambey, 70 km west of Touba. A mass immunization campaign began on 1 October. A total of 322 000 people have been vaccinated in Mbacke and Touba," WHO said. Touba is a city of 800,000 people.

WHO however added that national vaccine stocks were not sufficient to immunize the target population in Diourbel region and additional vaccine was needed.

Staff from its West Africa sub-regional team, the Regional Office for Africa and headquarters had been arriving in Senegal from 10 October to help contain the outbreak, WHO said.

"The Ministry requested additional vaccine and supplies. WHO and its partners in the yellow fever sub-group of the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision; Médecins sans Frontières, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and UNICEF are working to meet this request," WHO said.

The Senegalese outbreak was first reported last week by its Ministry of Health which said 12 cases had been identified in Mbacke.

Yellow fever, according to WHO, is an epidemic viral disease in Africa and the Americas. The "yellow" in the name is explained by the jaundice that affects some patients. There is no specific treatment for yellow fever and vaccination is the most important measure for prevention.

Between 1939 and 1952 yellow fever cases almost vanished from French West Africa after intensive vaccination campaigns.