(By Kelly McDonald Jr) A recent report from the LA Times shows that yellow fever has broken out in areas near Brazil’s most densely populated cities. A worst case scenario for this outbreak is that it will devastate the country and spread across South and North America, including the United States. The people living near the outbreaks are for the most part unvaccinated, which will hasten its spread.
Fortunately, the areas presently hit by this outbreak are neither densely populated by people nor mosquitos that carry the virus. The last world outbreak of yellow fever was in 1937. Making the vaccine is a slow process; few companies create the vaccine. The kill rate with this virus is one out of every ten.
Presently, there are only 371 confirmed cases with another 629 suspected. The outbreak is causing an awakening to happen in the Medical community about our readiness or lack thereof of such an epidemic.
