Un Acercamiento al conocimiento de la fiebre Amarilla en el Perú

Abstract

A historical and epidemiological review of the presence of yellow fever in South America, particularly in Peru is presented, emphasizing the differences between urban yellow fever and jungle yellow fever. The first condition used to be prevalent in the whole Peruvian coast, and the main ports were mostly affected areas, and thousands of persons perished. Nowadays Peru is the country that notifies the greatest case toll of wild yellow fever in South America. From the epidemiological point of view, there are fully identified enzootic areas, especially in the so-called highland jungle ecological niche (Rupa-Rupa). People affected by jungle yellow fever are mainly young male (migrant farmers), who had not been immunized against this condition. The analysis of two periods of yellow fever surveillance in Peru, 1994 to 1999 and 2000 to 2004 does not reveal any major epidemiological change, except for the mortality rate, which increased from 38% to 56%, similar to the death rate recorded in the past (54% from 1991 to 1994). Five years ago the immunization strategy began in Peru, attempting to bring coverage to 100% of all children at one year of age, and in the past two years there have been massive immunization campaigns in areas where migrants come from, additionally to people from endemic areas, aiming to eradicate jungle yellow fever from Peru.