Yellow fever

26 November 2018

GeoSentinel recently confirmed yellow fever in an unvaccinated traveller to The Gambia and Senegal - with apparently dire consequences for the young man.

Please make sure this case is brought to the attention of your travellers, particularly those to West Africa. This case re-emphasizes the fact that yellow fever is a REAL threat in (West) Africa and not just “a yellow fever card” issue.

It is equally important that yellow fever vaccine is obtained from a reputable, licensed travel health provider to minimise the risk of obtaining a bogus vaccine from non-licensed sources.

GeoSentinel is a worldwide communication and data collection network for the surveillance of travel-related morbidity. It was initiated in 1995 by the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) with support from the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) as a network of ISTM member travel/tropical medicine clinics.

World Health Organization (WHO) data suggest that the rate of yellow fever transmission is increasing, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The WHO estimates that, after adjustment for underreporting, ∼200,000 cases of yellow fever occur each year. In most of West Africa, with the exception of The Gambia, yellow fever vaccination coverage is low”

Sources: SA Society of Travel Medicine, GeoSentinel, WHO