PUBLIC WARNED AGAINST YELLOW FEVER

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Bernama) -- The public have been warned against yellow fever, an acute viral haemorrhagic disease, particularly when visiting countries at risk with the disease in Africa, South America and Central America.

Director-General of Health Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said the African countries were Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana,Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone , Sudan, Togo and Uganda.

He said the South American and Central American countries were Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Panama,Peru, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela.

Malaysia is free from the disease although it is transmitted by infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, he said in a statement Friday.

"Despite the fatality rate of yellow fever can reach up to 50 per cent, there is no specific treatment for the disease.

"To ensure the country is free from the disease, two policies have been adopted by the government that must be adhered to," he said.

Dr Hasan said the first policy entailed requiring Malaysians intending to visit the high-risk countries to be administered with yellow fever vaccine at least 10 days before departure.

As for the second policy, he said visitors arriving from or had visited the high-risk countries for a period of not more than six days and failed to produce yellow fever vaccination certificates may be quarantined for up to six days," he said.

He said there were 19 yellow fever vaccination centres in the country, which were recognised by the Ministry of Health, including the Virus Research Division, Penang Port Health Office, Putrajaya Health Clinic in Precinct 9, Baserah Community Polyclinic, Kuantan; and Prince Court Medical Centre, Jalan Kia Peng here.
-- BERNAMA