Yellow fever in South America – A plea for action and call for prevention also in travelers from SLAMVI, ESGITM, EVASG, ALEIMC, GEPI-SEIMC, SEMEVI, and CMTZMV-ACIN
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The origin of yellow fever (YF) is believed to be in Africa, with the disease arriving in the Caribbean and Brazil on slave ships during the 1500s. Then, it spread from the Caribbean to the United States of America (USA), reaching the cities of New Orleans and Philadelphia. It was identified on European soil, arriving via conquistador ships and causing major outbreaks in the French port city of Marseille. Since then, the YF virus has easily adapted to naïve vectors and reservoirs in the tropical Americas, where it is endemic [[1], [2], [3], [4]], and intermittently epidemic (https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/travel-associated-infections-diseases/yellow-fever.html). YF, caused by the YF virus (YFV) (Flaviviridae family) (Orthoflavivirus flavi) (ICTV 2022/2024) (http://bit.ly/4kTkS9z) [5], a mosquito-borne viral disease and one of the most critical hemorrhagic fevers endemic to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and South America, continues to pose significant challenges to public health, particularly in low and middle-income countries of the latter [1,6]. Globally, about 1.54 billion individuals live in regions conducive to YF transmission [7]. In recent years, South America has experienced a resurgence in YFV and geographical expansion of transmission in some countries, affecting both human and non-human primate (NHP) populations [8,9]. More than 300 cases of YF have been reported in six South American countries during the outbreaks initiated in 2024 and ongoing in 2025, representing up to July 6 2025 a fourfold increase compared to the cases reported in 2024 (61 in 2024 and 255 in half of 2025) (https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON570), with more than 40% resulting in a fatal outcome (Table 1). Such a staggering case fatality rate, in a vaccine-preventable disease, not only highlights the urgency to improve coverage rates and traveler awareness but also underscores YF's standing as one of the deadliest vaccine-preventable viral infections.
Authors: Alfonso J. Rodriguez-Morales, Abdulaziz H. Alhazmi, Abraham Katime, Ahneez Abdul Hameed, Alejandra Morales, Alejandro Claudio Lepetic, Alejandro Risquez, Alex Julián Forero-Delgadillo, Alexis Holguin, Álvaro A. Faccini-Martínez, Amanda Guerrero, Ana Ribeiro, Asma Al Balushi, Aysegul Taylan Ozkan, Balram Rathish, Baruch Diaz, Beatriz Elena Porras-Pedroza, Bhanasut Hunsajarupan, Botond Lakatos, Carlos Álvarez-Moreno, Carlos Neftali Torres-Martinez, Caroline Ronnberg, Cecilia Perret, Christian Morberg Wejse, Aayush Adhikari, Corneliu Petru Popescu, Aula Abbara, Cristian Biscayart, D. Katterine Bonilla-Aldana, Daniele Fasan, Danna Calderon, David de Luna, David A. Forero-Peña, Diana Isabela Costescu-Strachinaru, Diogo Mendes Pedro, Edward J.M. Monk, Eirini Iliaki, Emanuele Pontali, Emmanuel O. Ngbede, Ferenc Balázs Farkas, Marta González-Sanz, Florencia Escarrá, Francesca Mariotti, Francesca F. Norman, Francesco Di Gennaro, Francisco Javier Membrillo, German Arrieta, Giacomo Guido, Ángel Viudes Fuster, Gustavo A. Grandez-Castillo, Hakan Leblebicioglu, Hanna K. de Jong, Hernan Vargas, Jung-ah Kim, Jaime A. Cardona-Ospina, Jaime R. Torres, Jara Llenas-García, Isabell Wagenhäuser, José A. Oteo, Jose Francisco Gallegos Braun, Juan Carlos Sepulveda-Arias, Juan Pablo Hernandez, Julián Ruíz Sáenz, Justin Onyebuchi Nwofe, Justyna Kowalska, Kate E. Jackson, Kubra Aykac, Leonardo Francesco Rezzonico, Luis Felipe Reyes, Luisa Frallonardo, Manuel Krone, Marcela Fuquen Malagón, Marco A. Sempere-Alcocer, Marco Tulio Luque, Maria Carlos, Maria del Mar Faraco Oñorbe, Marina Segura Moreno, Marinella Lauriola, Mario Masana, Marisa Fernandez, Marlen Martinez-Gutierrez, Marta Diaz-Menendez, Miguel J. Martinez, Miguel Mauricio Cabada, Miguel Morante-Ruiz, Miriam J. Alvarez-Martinez, Nancy Sandoval-Paiz, Nuria Chávez, Oana Joean, Octavio Arce, Oliver Koch, Olivier Epaulard, Osman Sezer Cirit, Özlem Türkmen Recen, Pasesa Quispe, Patricia Lourdes Guillot Passerini, Petar Velikov, Miguel Hueda-Zavaleta, Petros Ioannou, Poleta Luga, Rama Shankar Rath, René Echavarría, Rhea O'Regan, Riccardo Paggi, Rodrigo N. Angerami, Salam Abbara, Salim Mattar, Salvatore Scarso, Samuele Gaggioli, Sergio Verbanaz, Siti Mardhiah Muhamad Fauzi, Sofia Jordão, Susana Lloveras, Tamara Ursini, Tánia Chaves, Thomas Weitzel, Tomás Orduna, Tommaso Manciulli, Tommy Rampling, Victor Acero, Virgilio Lezcano, Wendy Karely Moncada-Navas, Wilmer Villamil-Gomez, Yasemin Özsürekçi, Yori Roque, Nadia Noreen, Paul Yonga, Pietro Ferrara, Zitta Barrella Harboe
Institutions: Universidad Científica del Sur, Institución Universitaria Visión de las Américas, Jazan University, Universidad del Magdalena, Hospital Selayang, Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud, GlaxoSmithKline (Brazil), Latin American Society for Travel Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Hospital Militar Central, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Infectologia Emílio Ribas, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Cyprus International University, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Fundación Universitaria Sanitas, Ministry of Public Health, Department of Disease Control, Semmelweis University, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Universidad El Bosque, Public Health Agency of Sweden, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Aarhus University Hospital, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Tribhuvan University, Institute of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College London, Fundación GESICA, Korea University, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Fundación Universitaria Navarra, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, Queen Astrid Military Hospital, University of Lisbon, Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria, Laboratório de Microbiologia, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, MRC Unit the Gambia, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard University, Ente Ospedaliero Ospedali Galliera, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi, Universidad de Alcalá, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia, Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas Norberto Quirno, Azienda Usl Toscana Centro, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Infecciosas, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Hospital Central de la Defensa Gómez Ulla, Corporación Universitaria del Caribe, Asociación Colombiana de Infectología, National University of San Marcos, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Universidad del Quindío, Soonchunhyang University, Soonchunhyang University Hospital Seoul, University of California, Berkeley, Universitat de Miguel Hernández d'Elx, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana, Hospital Vega Baja, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Hospital San Pedro, Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja, Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Nasarawa State University, Medical University of Warsaw, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Hacettepe University, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Universidad de La Sabana, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Unidade Local de Saúde de São José, Hospital Curry Cabral, Hospital Muñiz, Universidad de Antioquia, Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Universitat de Barcelona, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Toledo, Hospital Universitario de Toledo, Universidad Rafael Landívar, Roosevelt Hospital, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, NHS Lothian, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble, Gaziantep Şehir Hastanesi, Fundação do ABC, Medical University of Sofia, Universidad Privada de Tacna, University of Crete, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Gorakhpur, University College Dublin, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Hospital de Clínicas da Unicamp, Yonsei University, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Hôpital Raymond-Poincaré, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Universidad de Córdoba, Ospedale Sacro Cuore Don Calabria, University of Florence, Hospital Británico de Buenos Aires, Hospital Pedro Hispano, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Centro Universitário do Pará, Ministério da Saúde, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Universidad del Desarrollo, Clínica Alemana, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Mundo Sano, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, UCL Biomedical Research Centre, UK Health Security Agency, University College London, Fundación Universitaria San Martín, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination, Health Services Academy, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, University of Milano-Bicocca, Statens Serum Institut, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,710
Awards: G8660793352, G9000042420
OpenAlex ID: W4411922187