RIO DE JANEIRO, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian Health Minister Ricardo Barros said Thursday that the outbreak of yellow fever in the country is "technically under control" within World Health Organization (WHO) protocols.
Brazil is following the WHO recommendations on this matter and makes sure that the stocks of vaccine against the disease are sufficient, the minister said.
Since December, there have been 492 confirmed cases of yellow fever in Brazil, all in the four southern states -- Minas Gerais, Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
So far, only one of the confirmed cases involves a city resident, and that particular patient was infected in a rural region, the country's health authorities said.
In addition to the 492 confirmed cases, there are 1,101 suspected cases of yellow fever in Brazil, which await lab confirmation. So far, 162 people have died from yellow fever since December, and another 95 deaths are pending confirmation.
Several Brazilian regions have started vaccinating its residents against yellow fever.
Since the outbreak of yellow fever in Brazil, a number of countries have also asked Brazilian tourists to be vaccinated against the disease before entering their territories.
