Cayenne (AFP)
A teenager from upper Maroni in Guyana, affected by both yellow fever and Covid-19, died Sunday at the Cayenne hospital center, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) announced on Tuesday.
The young boy, aged 14, lived in the territory of the commune of Maripasoula (south-west).
"The Pasteur Institute confirmed this weekend an infection by the yellow fever virus in Guyana (...). According to the first investigations, it is a local contamination which has occurred in the upper Maroni at a young patient. This patient, also suffering from Covid19, died on Sunday at the Cayenne hospital, "the ARS wrote in its press release.
In 1998, on the same territory of the commune of Maripasoula, an adult Native American from a village in the south of this commune, nearly two hours by canoe from the village, contracted yellow fever and died of it.
Her twin sister, for her part, lived in the village of Maripasoula and had not contracted the disease.
"Yellow fever is an acute viral disease which is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito and can give rise to serious and potentially fatal forms", recalled for its part the ARS.
"This new case confirms that yellow fever is indeed present throughout Guyana, particularly in forest areas. This justifies the vaccination obligation throughout the department. Vaccination is the main preventive measure against fever. yellow ", underlines the ARS.
After this death, Guyana deplored on Monday the death of a 40th patient with Covid-19, a 77-year-old man, also at Cayenne hospital.
With these 40 official deaths, Guyana is the French overseas territory which deplores the most deaths linked to the new coronavirus.
Monday evening, Guyana counted 1,855 people infected with Covid-19. Since March 5, this territory of 300,000 inhabitants has counted 6,851 infected people, 4,996 of whom have recovered.
© 2020 AFP