The Ghana Health Service (GHS) says it has received reports of confirmed Yellow Fever cases in the Brong Ahafo and Volta regions over the past  four weeks.

“A total of four cases with no deaths have been reported,” a release from the GHS said Saturday.

Three cases were reported in the Jaman South district of the Brong-Ahafo region, while one case was reported in Central Tongu district in the Volta Region.

The service has assured “there is no need to panic as the cases are confined to a few communities in the aforementioned districts, and previous widespread vaccination in 2011 in those districts provided most people with immunity against Yellow Fever”.

Below is the full press release from the GHS

CONFIRMED CASES OF YELLOW FEVER (YF) - BRONG-AHAFO AND VOLTA REGIONS

Over the past four weeks, the Ghana Health Service has received reports of confirmed Yellow Fever (YF) cases from the Brong-Ahafo and Volta regions.

A total of four cases with no deaths have been reported.

Three (3) are from Jaman South district in the Brong-Ahafo region & one (1) from Central Tongu district in the Volta Region.

**THERE IS NO NEED TO PANIC AS THE CASES ARE CONFINED TO A FEW COMMUNITIES IN THE AFOREMENTIONED DISTRICTS, AND PREVIOUS WIDESPREAD VACCINATION IN 2011 IN THOSE DISTRICTS PROVIDED MOST PEOPLE WITH IMMUNITY AGAINST YELLOW FEVER. (THE YELLOW FEVER VACCINE IS PROTECTIVE FOR LIFE)**

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF YELLOW FEVER
Yellow Fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease. It causes bleeding which may come out from any of the body openings (e.g.: the Nose, Mouth, Bloody stools, Vomiting Blood at the end stage). The symptoms may also include fever with jaundice in the early stages and with multiple organ dysfunctions resulting in kidney and liver failure.

TREATMENT: Treatment is mostly symptomatic.

MODE OF SPREAD: Spread is through the bite of infected Aedes mosquito.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES:
1. Prevention is by vaccination - The vaccine is very effective. One injection of the vaccine protects one for life.
2. Avoidance and protection against mosquito bites.

CONTAINMENT MEASURES AND RESPONSE ACTIONS DONE
1. Public education on signs, symptoms and prevention.
2. Yellow Fever vaccination coverage in the affected districts has been assessed & found to be high in those districts. Preventive vaccination coverage was done in the affected communities in 2011 & Yellow fever vaccination protects one for life.
3. Planned selective reactive mop up vaccination in the affected communities / sub-districts.
4. Alert sent to all regions and nearby districts of the affected areas.
5. Surveillance has been enhanced across the country.

WAY FORWARD:
The risk of further transmission is low due to high Yellow fever vaccination coverage in routine EPI and previous preventive vaccination campaign. However, we need to sustain Enhanced surveillance, Intensive public education of the disease, Preventive measures and what to do if one suspects Yellow Fever.

Thank you.

SIGNED:
(THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, GHANA HEALTH SERVICE)