Mass yellow fever vaccination campaign to stem spread in Sudan

The Sudanese Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) has notified the World Health Organisation (WHO) of a yellow fever outbreak in West and South Kordofan. Between 3 October and 24 November, a total of 44 suspected cases of yellow fever, including 14 deaths, were reported. The field investigation carried out by the FMOH team revealed that the initially suspected cases were recorded among the seasonal workers coming from the eastern states of Sudan who travelled to West Kordofan to work on the gum Arabic plantations in October.Subsequently suspected cases were also reported amongst the locally residing population of both Kordofan states. The blood samples collected by the field investigation team of the FMOH from the suspected cases were positive for yellow fever. The blood samples were later re-confirmed at the Institute of Pasteur of Senegal. The affected localities are Lagawa, Kailak, Muglad and Abyei localities in West Kordofan, and Elreef Alshargi, Abu Gibaiha, Ghadir, Habila, Kadugli, Altadamon, Talodi and Aliri in South Kordofan. The WHO is assisting the FMOH to conduct active case search, particularly in the neighbouring regions of Darfur, and in South Sudan, as well as in those areas where the seasonal workers have started to return following completion of their work. So far no suspected cases have been reported from any of these areas. The FMOH is planning to organise a reactive mass vaccination campaign in the affected areas. The WHO country office is currently working with the FMOH to launch a formal request to the International Coordinating Group on Yellow Fever Vaccine Provision to provide support for the planned vaccination campaign. Late last year, an outbreak of yellow fever in Darfur resulted in 849 suspected cases, including 171 deaths. Around five million people were vaccinated against yellow fever in the five states of Darfur in response to this outbreak. In 2005, 615 suspected cases of yellow fever, including 183 deaths, were reported from South Kordofan, and a reactive mass vaccination campaign targeting around 1.6 million people in the state was launched to contain the outbreak. File photo Related: More yellow fever cases reported in Sudan states (22 November 2013)Ten deaths from yellow fever in Sudan: WHO (17 November 2013)Yellow fever vaccinations for 45,000 in Sudan’s Kordofan (14 November 2013)Yellow fever outbreak in West Kordofan: Sudan Health Ministry (7 November 2013)