An unprecedented outbreak of yellow fever in Brazil continues to spiral, official figures show.
Health chiefs in the South American nation have announced the killer disease’s death toll has now reached 260.
And 846 people are known to have been infected with yellow fever, which causes yellowing of the skin and is spread by mosquitos.
Aid workers warn this is Brazil’s largest outbreak of the deadly disease in 18 years – topping last year’s mammoth 777 cases.
Brazil’s Health Ministry is now aiming to vaccinate more than 23 million people across the country, with major cities being hit hard.
Health chiefs in the South American nation have announced the killer disease’s death toll has now reached 260. Yellow fever is spread by mosquitos
Thousands of foreign travellers were advised in February to get immunised against yellow fever in the run-up to the annual Carnival celebrations.
Yellow fever is commonly found in tropical and subtropical areas. The mosquito-borne virus usually kills up to eight per cent of people it strikes.
Nearly 200,000 cases and 30,000 deaths of the deadly disease are reported worldwide each year.
The World Health Organization last month declared that yellow fever was a ‘major’ threat to humanity – but not an ‘urgent’ one.
Symptoms include fever, severe headaches, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. But they can quickly progress.
The new figures, released yesterday, come after locals were last month blamed for killing scores of monkeys in Rio de Janeiro.
Officials claimed at the time they were under the false impression that the animals could spread yellow fever to humans.
The state of Rio, which includes the city that is famous for its Christ the Redeemer stature and Copacabana beach, has been hit hard by the outbreak this year.
And a fifth of the deaths have occurred in Sao Paulo state, according to a previous death count.
UK Government officials recommend those travelling to certain parts of the Brazil receive a jab to protect them against yellow fever.
They warned there is a risk of infection for anyone visiting Sao Paulo, Rio and the capital – Brasilia. Concerns have also been raised in 13 other states.
More than 200,000 British nationals visited Brazil in 2016 – the year the country hosted the Olympic and Paralympic games.