Nigeria and eight other African countries recorded 67 confirmed yellow fever cases, including 18 deaths, between January and October 2026, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The affected countries are Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo.

In a Disease Outbreak News report published on 6 November 2026, the WHO said yellow fever transmission continues across its African Region, with recent outbreak activity concentrated in parts of West Africa, including communities close to international borders.

Nigeria recorded four confirmed cases, including one death, during the reporting period, while Cameroon reported nine cases and one death.

Côte d’Ivoire recorded the highest number of confirmed cases, with 30 infections and 10 deaths, followed by Burkina Faso, which reported 15 cases and three deaths.

Ghana recorded four cases and three deaths, while Liberia reported one laboratory-confirmed case. The Central African Republic recorded two cases, while Guinea and Togo reported one case each. No deaths were recorded among confirmed cases in the latter three countries.

The WHO noted that the figures reflect the latest information available as of 12 October 2026. It said the detection of cases in the nine countries indicates increased transmission across parts of West Africa.

Factors driving transmission

The WHO identified frequent cross-border movement, uneven vaccination coverage and environmental conditions that favour the spread of infected mosquitoes as factors increasing the risk of further transmission.

“Occupational and environmental exposures, including work in or near forested areas, mining activities, and other outdoor occupations, are important risk factors for yellow fever infection,” it noted.

“Frequent cross-border population movement, the presence of competent mosquito vectors, and uneven vaccination coverage increase the risk of further transmission and geographic spread.”

According to the WHO, cross-border movement for trade, farming, livestock, and mining could contribute to the spread of the virus between affected and neighbouring countries.

The WHO said affected countries, with support from the organisation and other partners, are strengthening disease surveillance, investigating cases, conducting laboratory tests and intensifying efforts to identify infections.

Other measures include community engagement, risk communication and vaccination activities in affected and high-risk areas.

Regional risk

The WHO said it assessed the overall public health risk associated with the yellow fever situation as moderate across the African Region on 27 October, while the global risk remains low.

It considered continued transmission and additional cases in the region likely, citing existing immunity gaps, challenges with surveillance and laboratory testing, insecurity, limited resources and difficulties accessing some affected communities.

The organisation warned that introducing the virus into densely populated urban and peri-urban areas with low vaccination coverage could trigger larger outbreaks and put additional pressure on public health response systems.

“Unvaccinated populations are at highest risk, particularly rural and forest-edge communities, mobile and cross-border populations and people who work in forested areas, agriculture or mining,” it added.

Vaccination remains key

Yellow fever is an acute viral disease transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. It can cause fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting and weakness.

According to the WHO, about 15 per cent of infected people develop severe illness, which may involve recurrent high fever, jaundice, bleeding, shock and organ failure.

“Approximately half of patients who enter this severe phase die within seven to 10 days,” it noted.

The WHO said no specific antiviral treatment is routinely recommended, and clinical management is largely supportive.

It identified vaccination as the most effective preventive measure, noting that a single dose provides lifelong protection.

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The WHO urged at-risk countries to maintain high vaccination coverage through routine immunisation and preventive or outbreak-response campaigns, particularly in communities with identified immunity gaps.

It also called for stronger surveillance, timely laboratory testing, mosquito control and public awareness of symptoms and prevention measures.

The organisation advised international travellers aged nine months and above visiting areas at risk of yellow fever transmission to receive vaccination.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended two additional Ebola vaccine candidates for clinical evaluation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as research into potential treatments advances.

In a statement on Wednesday, the organisation said the vaccines, specifically developed against the Bundibugyo virus, would be tested for the first time during an outbreak of the disease.

“The two candidates are ChAdOx1, developed by the University of Oxford in partnership with the Serum Institute of India, and Moderna’s mRNA-1469,” it said.

It said its independent Technical Advisory Group on Candidate Vaccine Prioritisation recommended the vaccines based on available preclinical and early clinical evidence, adding that their inclusion awaited national approvals.

WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, described the development as evidence of scientific collaboration, expressing appreciation to researchers, health workers, partners and participants involved in the clinical trials.

He said participants’ contributions would generate important evidence that could help save lives, adding that vaccines alone would not end the outbreak but could strengthen control efforts.

“The Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, DRC’s national public health and biomedical research institute, is leading the vaccine trial with support from WHO, the University of Antwerp and other international partners,” he said.

“Other collaborators include Epicentre, Médecins Sans Frontières, the Institute of Tropical Medicine of Antwerp and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.”

According to him, the rapid development of the vaccine candidates was supported by investments from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

He said the Tumaini trial is designed to evaluate multiple vaccine candidates through a ring-vaccination approach involving contacts of people confirmed to have Bundibugyo virus disease.

“The approach builds on a strategy used during the West African Ebola outbreak, when a landmark trial in Guinea established the effectiveness of Ervebo vaccine against Zaire ebolavirus,” he said.

“Ervebo is also the first vaccine being evaluated in the Tumaini trial to determine its effectiveness against Bundibugyo virus.”

The WHO boss said four vaccination rings had already been established, while preparations were underway for additional rings involving contacts of people who had fallen ill or died from Ebola.

Mr Ghebreyesus said research into potential treatments was also progressing through the WHO-sponsored PARTNERS trial, inaugurated in July to evaluate treatments for patients with confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease.

“The trial is assessing whether monoclonal antibody MBP134, antiviral drug remdesivir or a combination of both could improve survival among infected patients,” he said.

The WHO boss said another treatment, maftivimab, would soon be added to the trial, while a complementary study investigating obeldevisir for post-exposure prevention was ongoing.

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He said the organisation was supporting outbreak research through its Research and Development Blueprint and Health Emergencies Programme, providing technical advice, research protocols and operational support.

He said the support also included coordinating research partners and ensuring that studies conducted during the outbreak met rigorous scientific and ethical standards.

“Initial findings from the treatment trials are expected in the coming months, while results from the vaccine trial are anticipated in early 2027,” he said.

(NAN)