Nairobi, March 5 Three people have died from an outbreak of yellow fever detected in central Kenya, the Government of the African country reported on Saturday, which had not registered indigenous cases of this disease since the 1990s. “The first case was detected on January 12, 2022” in Isiolo county, Kenyan Director General of Health Patrick Amoth said in a statement published in local media. To date, fifteen patients have presented symptoms of the disease in that county, such as fever, jaundice and muscle and joint pain, of which the youngest is 11 years old and the oldest is 65 years old. “Sadly, we have recorded three deaths so far. Of the six samples tested at KEMRI (Kenya Medical Research Institute), three tested positive,” Amoth said. Health authorities have issued an alert that affects all 47 counties in the country and are mobilizing resources – including vaccines – to tackle the outbreak, especially in Isiolo and neighboring counties. Yellow fever is an acute, hemorrhagic, mosquito-borne viral disease that can cause death. The virus is endemic in tropical areas of Africa and Central and South America, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Yellow fever can be prevented with a highly effective, safe and affordable vaccine, of which a single dose is sufficient to confer immunity and protection for life, without the need for a booster dose. The vaccine offers effective immunity to 99% of vaccinated people within 30 days. EFE pa/ie
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