Link to Pubmed [PMID] – 31711378
Emerg Microbes Infect 2019;8(1):1636-1641
Yellow Fever (YF) remains a major public health issue in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America, despite the availability of an effective vaccine. In Africa, most YF outbreaks are reported in West Africa. However, urban outbreaks occurred in 2016 in both Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and imported cases were reported in Chinese workers coming back from Africa. In Central Africa, Cameroon and the Republic of Congo host a high proportion of non-vaccinated populations increasing the risk of urban outbreaks. The main vector is and possibly, both being anthropophilic and domestic mosquitoes. Here, we provide evidence that both and in Cameroon and the Republic of Congo are able to transmit Yellow fever virus (YFV) with higher rates of infection, dissemination, and transmission for . We conclude that the potential of both species to transmit YFV could increase the risk of urban YF transmission and urge public health authorities to intensify their efforts to control domestic vectors, and extend vaccine coverage to prevent major YFV outbreak.