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Yellow Fever Kills Frenchman in Rurrenabaque

Posted: admin on Mar 28 | Health

The Bolivian Ministry of Health Center for Tropical Diseases (CENETROP) confirmed on March 27th that French citizen Javier Renoux (40) died of Yellow Fever on March 17th. The case was contracted in the Palos Blancos municipality of the tropical area of the La Paz department and had been treated incorrectly as hemoragic dengue fever by the Rurrenabaque General Hospital. The patient’s condition worsened until the patient died while still in the Rurrenabaque General Hospital. Yellow fever is preventable by a vaccine that is given free in Bolivia and proof of this vaccine is required for entry to the country although officials often relax this rule. The virus is transmitted by the bite of the female
Aedes Aegypti mosquito.  Yellow fever has no cure and victims either recover after roughly one week or experience multiple organ failure that can lead to death. The vaccine for yellow fever is highly effective, but recipients should wait 10 days before the vaccine takes full effect and must renew the vaccine every 10 years. When traveling in jungle areas it is important to use proper mosquito protection which includes long sleeved clothing, bug spray, and mosquito nets.

To learn more in Spanish and English:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_fever

http://www.abi.bo/#

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