South Sudan’s Ministry of Health has confirmed a fatal case of yellow fever in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State, and deployed an emergency res...
South Sudan’s Ministry of Health has confirmed a fatal case of yellow fever in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State, and deployed an emergency response team to investigate possible local transmission.In a press release dated Nov. 10, 2026, the ministry said the patient was a 48-year-old male farmer from Okaba village in Gulumbi Payam, Morobo County, who had recently travelled to Ariwara in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), approximately two weeks before developing symptoms.The patient developed fever, headache, fatigue, chest pain and joint pain on Oct. 24. On Oct. 27, he experienced nosebleeding while in the community. Two days later, while receiving treatment in an isolation unit, he developed a generalized body rash.The ministry said two blood samples tested negative for Ebola, but further laboratory testing using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed yellow fever virus infection. The patient died on Nov. 1, 2026.The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other health partners, has activated emergency response measures to investigate the case and prevent possible further transmission.A technical team comprising a clinician, epidemiologist, laboratory scientist, health promotion and education expert, and entomologist has been dispatched to Morobo County to conduct investigations.The response includes active case searches and contact tracing in Okaba village and Gulumbi Payam, as well as reviewing health facility records to identify people who may have presented with similar symptoms in the previous two to three weeks.The team will also collect blood samples from suspected cases and mosquito samples to establish whether there is evidence of local or vector-related transmission.The ministry said it would assess community knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning outbreak response and immunization to guide targeted vaccination campaigns aimed at protecting vulnerable populations.It also plans to strengthen cross-border surveillance and coordination with health authorities in neighbouring health zones of the DRC.The ministry warned that yellow fever is transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes and urged residents of Morobo County and the wider public to remain vigilant.It advised communities to sleep under mosquito nets, eliminate mosquito breeding sites and seek immediate medical attention for suspected symptoms.People experiencing fever, yellowing of the eyes (jaundice), dark or tea-coloured urine, or unusual bleeding have been urged to report to the nearest health facility or call the national toll-free health call centre on 6666.The ministry called on communities to cooperate with health authorities as investigations and public health response activities continue.
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