Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte declared on Friday a 90-day
state of national emergency in the South American country due to
yellow fever, which has reappeared after 34 years of not being
registered.
According to news reaching here from Paraguay's capital city,
Asuncion, the measure is to avoid an epidemic because of the lack
of vaccines and the appearance of cases in densely populated zones
near Asuncion.
The declaration of state of national emergency will allow
Paraguay's Health Ministry to carry out an exceptional disbursement
of resources.
The yellow fever has reached Luque locality, the site of Silvio
Pettirossi international airport.
Last week a youth in San Lorenzo municipality died allegedly due
to yellow fever.
So far three suspicious cases have been detected in Luque and
two others in San lorenzo, 20 kilometers from Asuncion.
The decree of this state of emergency allows the government to
request international aid to supply Paraguay with more vaccines,
since it only had 30,000 doses and they are about to be
finished.
On Thursday 50,000 doses arrived to Paraguay from Brazil and on
Friday a similar amount will arrive.
The Peruvian government offered 200,000 doses, of which some
144,000 will arrive on Saturday and Sunday, while the Pan American
Health Organization (OPS) will send 600,000 doses on March.
The OPS emitted a regional alert due to the appearance of 32
yellow fever cases in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.
The OPS suggested a widespread vaccination to avoid the decease
from spreading.
(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2008)