Published Date: 2012-02-11 14:02:53
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Yellow fever -South America: Peru (PU)
Archive Number: 20120211.1039339
YELLOW FEVER - SOUTH AMERICA: PERU (PUNO)
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A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Fri 10 Feb 2012
Source: Pachamama [in Spanish, trans & summ. Mod. TY, edited]
DIRESA [Office of the Director of the Regional Health] is ready to mobilize health personnel to control an outbreak of yellow fever in Sandia
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This fatal disease returned to Sandia (12 Jan 2012) and took the life of a 45 year male old farmer, in the Huyncalla community, Alto Inambari district, who died at home with symptoms of yellow fever, which was confirmed by the National Institute of Health (INS).
Similarly, a 57 year old farmer from the same area, when presenting with yellow fever was hospitalized in Sandia, is receiving symptomatic treatment and progressing favorably, as a suspected [yellow fever] case although still not confirmed by the INS.
Given this health situation occurring in Sandia, DIRESA designed a contingency plan to control the yellow fever outbreak. The head of the Puno DIRESA, Jose Francisco Irigoyen Arbieto, released [information] about what occurred and considering that yellow fever is a threat for Sandia, thus provided the shipment of a total of 27 500 doses of the vaccine to the area and is awaiting a lot of 50 000 additional doses of yellow fever vaccine from the Ministry of Health.
On his side, the DIRESA head ordered the strengthening of the green alert in the Sandia REDESS [National Network of Education, Sexual Health and Development], to guarantee effective control of the yellow fever outbreak as well as to mobilize 7 health brigades made up of 35 health professionals who are in charge of vaccinations and education of the population about prevention and recognition of signs and symptoms of the disease. This intervention will be a priority in the Sandia, Mashiapo, San Juan del Oro and Putina Punco districts. The strategies consist of organizing a vaccination sweep in the Huncalla community, and vaccination house to house in the area of risk.
The population to be vaccinated will be between 2 - 59 years of age. Finally, the head calls for the populace who have not been vaccinated against yellow fever to do so 10 days before traveling to forested areas and for an effort to encourage foreign tourists to receive their dose of yellow fever vaccine.
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[The ecological setting where this confirmed and suspected cases acquired their yellow fever virus infection is not stated. Presumably these are infections acquired in tropical forested areas where the sylvan (jungle) cycle occurs. Although the Alto Inambari district is relatively high (1340 m or 4396 ft) it may be a bit under the altitudinal limit of _Aedes aegypti_. Clearly, the health authorities are concerned about the risk of initiation of the urban cycle of YF virus transmission by _Ae. aegypti_, so presumably that vector may be present. Should that be the case, the rapid response by the health authorities is prudent.
A map showing the terrain of Sandia district can be accessed at http://www.maplandia.com/peru/puno/sandia/.
A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map showing the location of the Sandia district and province, in the Puno region can be accessed at http://healthmap.org/r/1Mj9. - Mod. TY.]
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