The Pasteur Institute confirmed an infection with the yellow fever virus this weekend. This is the 3rd case since 2017.
In a statement released today, Guyana Regional Health Agency reports the death of a young patient.
“According to the first investigations, it is about a local contamination which occurred on the upper Maroni. This patient also suffering from Covid-19 died Sunday at the Hospital Center in Cayenne.”
3 cases since 2017
The last reported case of local yellow fever contamination dates back to August 2018.
The unvaccinated patient had been infected in a forest area around the County River. The 47-year-old man was transferred to a Paris hospital in serious condition.
A year earlier, the first case of yellow fever occurred since 1998. The patient had stayed in the forest near Saint-Élie and in the Oyapock valley.
This new case confirms that yellow fever is indeed present throughout Guyana, particularly in forest areas. This justifies the vaccination obligation throughout the department.
The Regional Health Agency reminds that yellow fever is an acute viral disease which is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, and can give rise to serious and potentially fatal forms
Vaccination is the main preventive measure against yellow fever. The vaccine is safe and very effective. A single dose is usually sufficient to provide long-lasting immunity and lifelong protection against disease.
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