Yellow Fever Outbreak in Brazil kills more monkeys

Coronavirus is not the only worry in the Brazilian State of Paraná.

Yellow fever is now an additional worry for Brazilian health authorities in this State bordering on Argentina and home of the famous tourist attraction Iguaçu Falls. Surrounding the falls is Iguaçu National Park, subtropical rainforest with diverse wildlife, while north lies the massive Itaipu Dam. Hundreds of kilometers east, close to the Atlantic beaches of Guaratuba and the large port of Paranaguá, is the leafy state capital, Curiti

In a follow-up on the yellow fever situation in Paraná state, Brazil, on Wednesday, the Secretariat of Health of Paraná released the biweekly yellow fever bulletin with the record of three dead monkeys (epizootics) confirmed in the villages of Cruz Machado, Honório Serpa and Palmas.

The epidemiological period, beginning in July, totals 87 notifications of epizootic diseases: 11 were confirmed as the death of monkeys infected by yellow fever; 32 were discarded; 35 are identified as indeterminate and 9 are under investigation.

During this period, Paraná did not register cases of yellow fever in humans. Of the 10 registered notifications, nine were discarded and one is under investigation.

“Although we have no cases of yellow fever in humans, we are on alert for the circulation of the virus due to confirmed monkey deaths. These animals do not transmit the disease; in the same way as man they are contaminated. That is why monkeys are considered sentinels and signalers of the presence of the virus ”, said the Secretary of Health of Paraná, Beto Preto.