EID Updates:

Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases,
Region of the Americas

Vol. 5, No. 3 (18 January 2008)                             Main Updates index

Jungle Yellow Fever in Brazil: Travel Recommendations

The Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde / MS) of Brazil has confirmed 10 cases of human jungle yellow fever (JYF) among the 30 suspected cases associated with the current epizootic among monkeys in the Central-Western part of the the country. Among the suspected cases, 11 have been discarded. Previous update

PAHO/WHO reiterates the current recommendation that travelers planning trips to the areas in Brazil at risk of yellow fever transmission receive the yellow fever vaccine 10 days prior to departure date. The yellow fever vaccination is valid for 10 years.

Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for people travelling to the following areas in Brazil at risk of yellow fever transmission:

The states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Goiás, the Federal District, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins.
2. Specific areas in other states: Bahia, Espírito Santo, Paraná, Piauí, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo. (The complete list of municipalities is available at the website of the Secretariat of Health Surveillance (SVS) at the Ministry of Health.)
3. Iguaçu Falls.

Note, however, that coastal areas of the states of Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Paraiba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Sergipe, and Rio Grande do Sul are not areas with risk of yellow fever transmission; hence, there is no need for travelers to these destinations to receive the yellow fever vaccine.

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is still required by the Brazilian health authorities from international travelers over nine months of age traveling to areas at risk of yellow fever transmission.

Additional information

• Technical note on yellow fever vaccination published by the Ministry of Health, with a map showing affected areas: Nota técnica: Recomendação de vacinação contra febre amarela para viajantes com destino ao Brasil (in Portuguese)
• Summary of yellow fever cases and deaths reported to PAHO: PAHO Yellow Fever Page

Source: Information received by PAHO-Brazil from the Secretary of Health Surveillance (Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde / SVS), Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde / MS), Brazil.