Yellow fever outbreak in DRC and Angola could spread: WHO warns

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised concerns over the likelihood of the Yellow fever outbreak in Angola that has killed nearly 300 people spreading to neighbouring countries.

CONGO DRC-Yellow fever outbreak in DR Congo alarms WHO
high chance disease spreading to neighbouring countries. pic.twitter.com/GiXRKEW21c

— Wish Fm (@Wishfmradio) May 8, 2016

The disease has now spread to the Democratic Republic of Congo and an update by the international body says that the viral disease is mainly concentrated in urban centers.

This highlights the risk of international spread through non-immunized travellers.

In a statement, WHO indicated that the Democratic Republic of Congo had 38 cases of yellow fever exported from neighboring Angola, Kenya had two and one traveler had carried it to China

“This highlights the risk of international spread through non-immunized travellers,” the statement added.

The current yellow fever outbreak in Angola has stretched existing yellow fever vaccine supplies and WHO estimates that Angola needs to urgently vaccinate 19.3 million people in 12 provinces.

Yellow fever is spread by a type of mosquito species that also transmits the Zika virus.

Agencies