Yellow fever in Africa and the Americas: a historical and epidemiological perspective

Abstract

Yellow fever was transported during the slave trade in the 15th and 16th centuries from Africa to the Americas where the virus encountered favorable ecological conditions that allowed creation of a sustainable sylvatic cycle. Despite effective vector control and immunization programs for nearly a century, yellow fever epidemics reemerged in many Latin American countries, particularly Brazil. The emergence or reemergence of vector-borne diseases encompasses many intricate factors. Yellow fever outbreaks occur if at least three conditions are fulfilled: the introduction of the virus into a non-immune human community, presence of competent and anthropophilic vectors and insufficiency of prevention and/or adequate management of the growing outbreak. On the other hand, two weapons are available to constrain yellow fever: vector control and immunization. In contrast, yellow fever is absent from Asia and the Pacific despite the presence of the vector and the susceptibility of human populations to the virus. Based on a review of the global history of yellow fever and its epidemiology, the authors deliver some recommendations for improving the prevention of epidemics.

Review Article: Yellow fever in Nigeria: A review of the current situation

“…Additionally, the Paraná Secretariat of Health reported that tests performed on dead monkeys in Antonina, on the Paraná coast, were positive for Yellow fever. Human cases reported during the current 2018/2019 season in four municipalities of São Paulo State, as well as the confirmation of epizootics in the State of Paraná, mark the beginning of what could be a third cycle and a progression of the outbreak towards the Southeast and South regions of the country (43).…”

“…In December 2016, cases of Yellow fever were reported in Minas Gerais again and the outbreak extended to areas located in proximity of the State. As of mid-April 2017, a total of 2,422 cases (including 623 confirmed, 1128 discarded and 671 suspected cases under investigation) were reported (43). These included 326 deaths (209 confirmed, 53 discarded and 64 cases under investigation).…”

“…These included 326 deaths (209 confirmed, 53 discarded and 64 cases under investigation). The case fatality rate among confirmed cases was 34% (43). In 2019, Brazil and Peru reported confirmed cases that occurred between December 2018 and January 2019.…”

“…In Brazil, it is currently the period which has historically been recognized as having the highest transmission (seasonal period), which occurs between December and May. The expansion of the historical area of Yellow fever transmission to areas previously considered risk-free led to two waves of transmission, one during the 2016/2017 season, with 778 human cases including 262 deaths, and another during the 2017/2018 season, with 1,376 human cases, including 483 deaths (43). In the current season (2018/2019), 12 confirmed human cases, including 6 deaths, have been reported in the municipalities of Eldorado (9 cases), Jacupiranga (1 case), Iporanga (1 case), and Cananeia (1 case), all of which are located in the southern part of São Paulo State (33).…”

Humanized Mice for Live-Attenuated Vaccine Research: From Unmet Potential to New Promises

“…Yellow fever (YF) is a serious hemorrhagic fever endemic to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and South America [79]. It is recognized as one of the most devastating infectious diseases of the 17th and 18th century, capable of killing thousands at a time [80,81]. YF is caused by yellow fever virus (YFV), a positive-sense RNA flavivirus, and is transmitted by Aedes, Haemogogus, and Sabethes mosquito species [82].…”