INTERNATIONAL NOTES

Yellow fever, Venezuela

On 14 September 2004, the WHO Regional Office for the Americas received reports of 2 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 1 death of yellow fever in Venezuela. The cases occurred in the second half of August 2004, in the Municipality of Sucre, Merida State.

A team from the Ministry of Health was quickly deployed to investigate the area and organized a catch-up vaccination campaign to prevent the occurrence of cases.

Last year, Venezuela started a programme to vaccinate 10 million people in 17 states considered to be at risk from yellow fever. Specific surveillance procedures are in place to detect sporadic cases and implement outbreak control measures in a timely manner.

Source: WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record, Vol 79, No 38, 2004.

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