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Yellow Fever: Emerging Threat in Asia-Pacific Region?
- Yellow fever, historically limited to Africa and South America, now presents a growing threat in the Asia-Pacific region due to factors like international travel, climate change, and urbanization.
- The virus, primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, may lead to severe disease with mortality rates between 20-50% in severe cases in humans.
- Early and accurate identification of yellow fever cases in Asia-Pacific is hampered by inadequate surveillance infrastructure, hindering prompt response.
- Vaccination remains crucial for prevention, but vaccination coverage in the Asia-Pacific region is currently minimal, necessitating proactive immunization strategies.
- Integrated vector management, including targeted insecticide use and community engagement, is vital to curb potential yellow fever spread alongside dengue and chikungunya viruses.
- The convergence of factors such as urbanization, inadequate infrastructure, and international travel intensifies the yellow fever threat in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Genetic diversity of the yellow fever virus poses challenges, necessitating monitoring for mutations that could impact transmission and virulence.
- Enhancing clinical awareness and training healthcare providers is crucial to ensure timely recognition and management of yellow fever cases, given diagnostic challenges.
- Lessons from recent flavivirus emergences in Asia-Pacific offer valuable frameworks for strategic and efficient response efforts against yellow fever.
- International cooperation, information sharing, harmonized vaccination policies, and joint vector control initiatives are essential for yellow fever preparedness in the Asia-Pacific region.
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