Drought may have driven Brazil's first yellow fever outbreak in nearly 80 years, according to a new modelling study.
For decades, control of the disease was considered a success story in Brazil, which had not recorded a single outbreak of yellow fever, whose flu-like symptoms can develop into jaundice, bleeding and organ failure, since 1942. This was attributed primarily to widespread vaccination and mosquito control efforts.
The 2017 outbreak
In 2017, the disease reappeared, with cases spreading through several cities and infecting more than 2,000 people within two years. More than 700 people died.
Findings
Researchers have proposed what they describe as a counterintuitive explanation for the outbreak's sudden emergence. While wet weather is often linked to a higher risk of mosquito-borne diseases, the study suggests it was in fact a severe drought
