18 dead, 40 infected in Sudan yellow fever outbreak

Health Minister of Sudan's West Darfur State said Sunday 18 people were killed and 40 others infected by yellow fever which recently spread in Darfur region, the Ashrouq Net reported. "Yellow fever has killed 18 people and infected 40 others in the state," Ashrouq quoted West Darfur State's health minister Ahmed Ishaq Yaqoup as saying. He added that nine samples have been sent to Khartoum for test. The minister further said his state embarked on confronting the disease through spraying pesticides to combat mosquitoes, the disease vector, and providing vaccines and saturated mosquito nets. He urged the citizens to immediately report on any new cases. On Wednesday, Sudanese Health Ministry said 32 people were killed and 50 others were infected by yellow fever in the country' s Central and South Darfur states. The ministry said it has taken necessary measures to prevent the spread of the disease and lessen the mortality rate via provision of all the required medications to treat the disease and combat the vector mosquitoes.