KCDC urges precautions against yellow fever infection and urges vaccinations before traveling to Brazil

◇ Yellow fever vaccination should be received before departure as the number of yellow fever patients increases in Brazil
◇ Travelers should take precautions to avoid mosquitoe bites in Brazil
◇ Travelers should submit a health questionnaire upon arrival in Korea, with those experiencing fever, headache and/or lethargy within 6 days after arrival in Korea to visit a medical institution and provide information of their overseas trip


□ The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC, Director Jung Ki-Suck) urged travelers to Brazil to receive yellow fever vaccinations at least 10 days before departure and avoid mosquitoes in Brazil as the number of yellow fever* patients are increasing rapidly in Brazil.
* Yellow fever is mainly spread by Aedes. Aedes aegypti, the main carrier, does not inhabit Korea.
□ The number of yellow fever infectees in Brazil has been increasing rapidly since December 2016. As of January 26, 2017, 72 have been confirmed to be diagnosed with the disease (40 deaths).
○ Yellow fever is an endemic disease in Brazil. It mainly occurs from December to May every year. Therefore, yellow fever infections are forecasted to continue for some time in the future.
□ As yellow fever can be prevented through vaccination and a single vaccination provides a lifetime of immunity, the KCDC urges travelers to countries where yellow fever is widespread, such as Brazil, to make sure to receive the vaccination* at least 10 days before departure.
* Yellow fever vaccination administered at 13 National Quarantine Station branch offices and 26 internationally certified vaccination designated medical institutes

○ The KCDC advised travelers to take precautions to avoid mosquitoe bites, such as by wearing long-sleeved tops and long pants, using mosquito repellents and looking for accommodation where mosquito nets are available.
○ It also asks travelers to submit a health questionnaire to quarantine officers upon arrival in Korea, receive treatment from a medical institution if any suspicious symptoms occur within six days after their return, inform the medical staff of their record of overseas trip and stop donating blood for one month.
□ The KCDC informs the yellow fever contaminated areas on its website (http://www.kdca.go.kr). In addition, through cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is providing information via SMS on yellow fever prevention and precautions to travelers to the affected countries, such as Brazil, upon their arrival in those countries.