Yellow Fever outbreak in Darfur, Sudan in October 2012; the initial outbreak investigation report.

INTRODUCTION

Sudan is subject to repeated outbreaks, including Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF), which is considered to be a very serious illness. Yellow Fever (YF) outbreaks in Sudan have been reported from the 1940s through 2005. In 2012, a new outbreak of YF occurred in the Darfur region.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the potential for an outbreak, to diagnose the disease and to be able to recognize its cause among the initial reported cases.

METHODOLOGY: >This is a descriptive and investigative field study that applies standard communicable disease outbreak investigation steps. The study involved clinical, serological, entomological and environmental surveys.

RESULTS

The field investigation confirmed the outbreak and identified its cause to be YF.

CONCLUSION

National surveillance systems should be strong enough to detect VHFs in a timely manner. Local health facilities should be prepared to promptly treat the initial cases because the case fatality ratios (CFRs) are usually very high among the index cases.