Colombia declares state of emergency due to yellow fever

Colombia declared a health emergency Wednesday over a deadly outbreak of yellow fever that has so far claimed at least 34 lives, according to a government statement.

Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease that is endemic in tropical parts of Central and South America, including Colombia.

Transmitted by mosquitoes, it can cause fever, muscle pain and headache or nausea and, in the most severe cases, kidney problems, bleeding and death.

Colombian Health Minister Guillermo Alfonso said in the statement that 74 cases of the disease have been detected, of which 34 have resulted in death.

In addition, the virus has spread beyond the areas usually considered at risk, such as the Amazon, Catatumbo and Chocó, "which makes it a threat to more communities."

"The most critical situation is in the department of Tolima where, since September 2024, it went from four to 22 detected points," the statement said.

The government said it had mobilized more than 80,000 people, including doctors, nurses and other health workers, to deal with the emergency.

"The strategy is focused on mass vaccination, starting at 9 months of age. To date, almost 8,000 people over 70 years of age have been vaccinated," said Alfonso Jaramillo in the statement.

The minister assured that the country has a sufficient supply of vaccines to face the emergency and announced that all travelers entering or leaving the country must present an immunization card.

In the United States, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised the yellow fever alert for South America to Level 2 and recommended vaccinations for those traveling to certain parts of Bolivia, Colombia and Peru.