Yellow fever scare in Malawi: ‘No need to panic’ says Health Ministry

The Ministry of Health has  said there is no need to panic over reports of  Yellow Fever outbreak, saying the risk of infection in Malawi is minimal but government will increase its surveillance in the borders by screening travellers coming from or on transit through Yellow fever-risk countries. [caption id="attachment_97341" align="alignright" width="316"] Ministry of Health spokesman, Chikumbe: No fear[/caption] There is no specific treatment for the viral disease which is transmitted by infected mosquitoes, and is found in tropical regions of Africa and Latin America’s Amazon basin. Symptoms include severe headache, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Many cases are mild, last less than a week and the person makes full recovery, according to World Health Organisation (WHO.) Up to 50 per cent of severely affected people die if left untreated. But Ministry of Health spokesman Adrian Chikumbe said there is no need to press the panic button in Malawi, maintaining that the level of risk of the disease is at below one per cent. “Malawi is at zero risk,” said Chikumbe. Yellow fever is transmitted by the same mosquitoes that spread the Zika and dengue viruses. But Chikumbe said that type of mosquitoes are not found in Malawi. The WHO has warned that yellow fever “constitutes a a potential threat for the entire world.”