Colombia declares yellow fever health emergency

Dozens dead in 2025 outbreak as mosquitos spread virus

- RACHEL CLUN

The president of Colombia has declared a health emergency as deaths from yellow fever spread through the country.

Gustavo Petro urged unvaccinated people not to travel over the Easter holidays. He issued the decree after Colombia recorded 74 cases and 32 deaths in the latest outbreak of the disease, with a rapid escalation in this month’s case numbers.

The health emergency follows warnings from a UN health agency that the disease was potentially expanding through the Americas.

By the end of March, 131 human cases had been confirmed in the region, with 53 deaths, more than double the total number of cases in the whole of 2024. By 31 March, Colombia had recorded 31 cases and 13 deaths, less than half the current case numbers.

Mr Petro warned that the virus has a mortality rate of up to 50 per cent, and said older people who have never been vaccinated against the disease were particularly vulnerable. He urged people to avoid travelling to areas most affected by the outbreak.