Yellow Fever Outbreaks

Yellow Fever Outbreaks 2024

Scientists believe yellow fever has existed for about 3,000 years, originating in Africa and spreading to the Americas in the 17th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries, yellow fever was considered one of the most dangerous infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the yellow fever (YF) virus has become endemic in tropical areas of Africa and 13 countries in the Americas. The WHO reported in 2024 that yellow fever's preliminary case fatality rate was 11%.

Africa Yellow Fever Outbreak

On March 28, 2024, the U.S. CDC issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice regarding a yellow fever outbreak in Nigeria. In February 2024, the Republic of South Sudan's health ministry reported 48 suspected and two confirmed Yellow Fever cases from Yambio, Nzara, Tambura, Ibba, Ezo, and Maridi Counties of Western Equatoria State. Since the beginning of 2023, documented probable and confirmed cases of yellow fever have been reported in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, South Sudan, Togo and Uganda. The overall risk at the regional level was re-assessed as moderate.

The Americas Yellow Fever Outbreaks

As of November 2024, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported outbreaks in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, and Peru. The PAHO confirmed 38 yellow fever cases this year, 19 of which were fatal. In 2023, four countries in the Region of the Americas reported 41 confirmed cases of yellow fever, including 23 deaths. Brazil experienced its largest-recorded yellow fever outbreak in 2018, reports the PAHO. In Brazil, yellow fever transmission historically occurs within a sylvatic cycle in the Amazonian region.

As of 2024, Australia, the U.S. CDC, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom have issued travel alerts regarding Brazil's yellow fever outbreaks.

United States Yellow Fever Outbreaks

In the United States, the Butte County Mosquito and Vector Control District in California detected the Aedes aegypti (yellow fever) mosquito in 2023. For the fourth consecutive year, the Aedes aegypti was seen in Butte County. The American Society for Microbiology posts a history of the emergence of yellow fever outbreaks in the U.S.

Yellow Fever Vaccine Availability 2024

Various yellow fever vaccines are authorized as of September 2024.