Yellow fever threatens Sao Paulo

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL— The World Health Organization announced Tuesday that it now considers all of Sao Paulo state at risk for yellow fever, recommending that all international visitors to the state be vaccinated.

That puts the megacity of Sao Paulo on the list. But Brazil’s Health Ministry said in a statement it was not changing its own recently updated map of at-risk areas, which includes only parts of the state and city.

Antonio Nardi, a senior official at the ministry, later told reporters the WHO recommendation was the result of an “excess of concern.” The announcement comes as an outbreak is gathering steam in Brazil during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer rainy season and just weeks ahead of Carnival, a major draw for foreign tourists. Nardi noted that most Carnival activities happen in cities, not in the forested areas that are of most concern, and so visitors should be safe.

Since July 2017, there have been 35 cases of yellow fever confirmed in Brazil, 20 of them in Sao Paulo state and three in Rio de Janeiro state, according to Health Ministry data released Tuesday. In all, 20 people have died. Yellow fever is spread by the same mosquito that transmits other tropical diseases, including Zika.