Sheila Ponnie
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Ministry of Health announced an outbreak of yellow fever in Yambio County, Western Equatoria State.
MoH noted on Saturday that it has seen an upsurge of the disease in Western Equatoria State (WES) in the past few weeks, with the first case being of an 18-year-old male who developed symptoms of generalised body weakness, headache and epigastric.
The Minister of Health, Yolanda Awel Deng, told a press conference that the patient was discovered on December 21, 2023, at Kangura village in Giangura Payam, Yambio County.
“The patient had previously received antibiotic treatment elsewhere without improvement before being admitted to Gangura Primary Health Care Centre,” she said. She added, “Given the alignment of symptoms with the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) case definition for viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF).”
She explained that the patient was isolated and the samples collected from him were tested at the NPHL lab on December 24, 2023, and later at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) to confirm a yellow fever infection.
“Differential testing using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for Ebola and Marburg viruses was negative. Further differential testing for other diseases is currently ongoing,” she explained.
The Ministry of Health has activated the Public Health Emergency Operation Centre (PHEOC) to ensure a proper mitigation response.
A team of experts from national, subnational, and WHO partners was mobilised to conduct a detailed field investigation, an active case search, community mobilization and sensitisation in Gangura and its surrounding areas.
Yellow fever is an infectious viral disease transmitted to humans through the bite of mosquitoes infected by the Yellow Fever Virus. Symptoms include a high-grade fever, headache, general body aches, and vomiting. blood in urine or stool, or yellow discolouration of the skin and or eyes.
The public is urged by the Ministry of Health to remember that everyone entering and leaving South Sudan needs to have a yellow fever vaccination.
Citizens are also recommended to always sleep under a mosquito net, and travelers are urged to adhere to the travel restrictions to decrease the risk of spreading yellow fever through international travel.
In light of the investigation and reaction to the outbreak, the Ministry of Health reiterated its request that the public assist officials.
The Ministry reassured the country that the outbreak would be confined and urged the citizens to call the hotline number (6666) in case of a suspected case or seek medication at the closest medical facility.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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