Investigation of a possible yellow fever epidemic and serosurvey for flavivirus infections in northern Cameroon, 1984

Bull World Health Organ. 1987;65(6):855-60.

Abstract

A cluster of fatal hepatitis cases in northern Cameroon in 1984 stimulated a field investigation to rule out an epidemic of yellow fever. A serosurvey of villages in the extreme north of the country, in a Sudan savanna (SS) phytogeographical zone, disclosed no evidence of recent yellow fever infection. However, further south, in a Guinea savanna (GS) phytogeographical zone, serological evidence was found of endemic yellow fever virus transmission. The results indicate a potential for epidemic spread of yellow fever virus from the southern GS zone to the nothern SS zone of Cameroon, where immunity in the population was low.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / isolation & purification
  • Cameroon
  • Chlorocebus aethiops / immunology
  • Disease Outbreaks / epidemiology*
  • Erythrocebus patas / immunology
  • Humans
  • Yellow Fever / epidemiology*
  • Yellow Fever / immunology
  • Yellow Fever / transmission
  • Yellow fever virus / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral