This year there have already been two cases of yellow fever, one in the department of Beni and the other in Santa Cruz, reported the Ministry of Education. An epidemiologist explains everything about this disease.
“During this year, to date, two positive cases of yellow fever have been registered,” said the head of the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health, Freddy Armijo (FA), after noting that the first was reported in the Beniano municipality of San Borja and the second in the Santa Cruz municipality of Puerto Acosta.
He stressed that the first patient with this pathology has already recovered, but the second is still in critical condition in a hospital in Santa Cruz.
On Thursday, the Epidemiology manager of the Departmental Health Service (Sedes) Santa Cruz, Carlos Hurtado, assured that after 19 years a positive autochthonous case of this pathology was registered and that the patient is a 17-year-old conscript.
After identifying the case, Hurtado explained that an epidemiological blockade will be carried out and that all contacts of the patient will be sought to vaccinate them.
Armijo assured that “there is no need to be alarmed” with this case, because this is a disease with epidemic behavior, that is, when a case appears, the blockade is carried out with the vaccination of contacts and currently “this task is already being carried out” with that , it is usually successful and no further activities are needed.
This pathology occurs sporadically. In 2022, six positive cases of this pathology were reported. “Four of them passed away.”
But is the disease contagious?
The epidemiologist and former director of Sedes La Paz, Mayber Aparicio (MA), explained that this disease is not spread from person to person and is transmitted through the bite of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same one that transmits dengue, the chikungunya and zika.
What is yellow fever?
MA Yellow fever is a virus of the RNA type. This virus is transmitted by the bite of the infected vector.
What are the symptoms?
MA virus has a predilection for affecting the liver. What produces all the symptoms related to hepatitis such as: fever, malaise, muscle pain and vomiting.
If the disease progresses, one in three patients may have complications and cause liver failure, and with this the patient begins to bleed, because they can no longer carry out coagulation processes correctly.
For this reason, he has a kidney problem and then kidney failure, he does not urinate well and therefore requires hospitalization.
Is this disease lethal?
MAYes, a person can die as a consequence of this pathology. In many places the lethality reaches 50%.
Do you have treatment?
MA There is no treatment. No treatment has been developed because it is considered a neglected tropical disease, which means no drugs are developed as such. Therefore, an infected person receives supportive treatment with serums, fluids, electrolyte balance. Therefore, the body fights against the disease.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the one that also transmits yellow fever.
Is there a vaccine to protect against this disease?
MA Yes, it exists and is placed between the first and second year of life. One dose is enough. However, the recommendation is that after 10 years the dose be placed in endemic areas.
Since the virus is of the RNA type, the vaccine is quite effective because the virus does not have great mutability.
Is the vaccination card for this disease still being requested?
FA In the country, no, but in other countries such as Brazil, yes, that is, if a person travels from Bolivia to that country, this document must be presented.
