November 8, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The outbreak of Yellow Fever in Sudan’s western region of Darfur has so far affected 221 people killing 78 of them, the country’s minister of health reported on Thursday as efforts continue to contain the disease’s deadly spread.

The minister of health, Bahar Abu Garda, presented his report to the council of ministers, saying that Yellow Fever cases appeared in Darfur in October and have so far spread to 221 people most of them are in Central Darfur State. Abu Garda’s report also stated that the disease caused 87 deaths, a fatality rate of 37 percent.

In response, the council of ministers called on the public not to move in or out of the affected areas because the virus that causes the disease is carried by mosquitoes. It has also been rumored that hospitals in Khartoum received suspected cases of Yellow Fever.

According to a joint report issued earlier this week by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the federal ministry of health, surveillance shows that 83.3% of the reported cases are from Central Darfur, 7.2% are from South Darfur, 7.2% are from West Darfur and 2.3% are from North Darfur.

The governor of West Darfur State, Youssef Tibin, said that by Thursday, 8 November, the number of cases reported in his state had reached 150 including 58 deaths.

Tibin told reporters that the authorities have begun a mosquito-fighting campaign and will soon start a vaccination campaign as soon as vaccines arrive in the state.

Yellow Fever is caused by a virus carried by mosquitoes and it is a common disease in South America and in sub-Saharan Africa.

Its symptoms, which usually develop 3-6 days after the day of the infection, include headache, muscle and joint aches, fever, flushing, loss of appetite and vomiting. These could also develop to include heart, liver, and kidney failure, bleeding disorders, seizures, coma, and delirium before leading to death if not treated.

(ST)