Colombia: 100 confirmed yellow fever cases reported in Tolima
The department of Tolima, in the center-west of the Colombia, reached 100 confirmed cases of yellow fever, with a total of 35 deaths.
Ingrid Katherine Rengifo Hernández, Secretary of Health for Tolima, reported that the three latest cases were registered in the municipality of Río Blanco. However, the greatest concern is that these cases originate from Bogotá and the individuals did not have a vaccination record. By remaining in the department for 20 days, the burden of the case falls on Tolima.
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Rengifo Hernández explained that the department will continue to register cases as long as there are unvaccinated individuals in at-risk areas. She also emphasized that the arrival of unvaccinated people from other departments contributes to Tolima's statistics.
Last week, a new official letter was issued to all ministries requesting support, as risk communication appears to be limited to Tolima, which is a national issue.
Despite the increase in cases, Secretary Rengifo Hernández emphasized that Tolima has the highest case fatality rate nationally and internationally, at 35%. This means that a resident of Tolima treated in the local health network has twice the chance of survival, thanks to the established care.
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Of the total 100 cases, approximately 80% correspond to unvaccinated individuals, and none of the deceased were fully vaccinated. All of the registered cases are from rural areas, indicating a jungle vector. The cases reported in Ibagué, Valle de San Juan, Melgar, and El Espinal are in peri-urban areas.
Containment to prevent the urbanization of the disease, which would be catastrophic, has been possible thanks to the collaborative work of the Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Health, and the Pan American Health Organization.