[Detection and management of the yellow fever epidemic in the Ivory Coast, 2001].

From March to December 2001, an outbreak of yellow fever was observed in Cote d'Ivoire. Sentinel surveillance for hemorrhagic fever allowed detection of the first case in the Duekoue health district in the heavily wooded western part of the country. A weekly reporting system was established. For each suspected case recorded and reported to the Epidemiological Surveillance Department at the National Institute of Public Hygiene, a sample was collected and sent for confirmation at the Pasteur Institute of the Cote d'Ivoire. The outbreak progressed from West to East reaching Abidjan, the economic capital of the country located in the southeast. The epidemic emergency plan consisted of setting up a crisis committee to implement epidemiological, entomological and virological surveillance, mass vaccination campaigns in areas around confirmed cases, and vector control. A total of 280 cases were reported including 32 confirmed cases and 6 deaths. Eleven out of 62 districts were affected with most cases occurring in cities with more than 10000 inhabitants. Over 3.7 million persons were vaccinated for an overall coverage of 92.2% in the areas where campaigns were carried out. As a result of this outbreak, surveillance for potentially epidemic diseases has been reinforced and surveillance of viral transmission is now being considered. A vaccination program for adults has also been established.