Colombia declares health emergency due to yellow fever cases, deaths

(Reuters) - The Colombian government declared a nationwide health emergency late on Wednesday due to an increase in yellow fever cases.

The outbreak has resulted in 74 confirmed cases and 34 deaths since the start of 2024, said Health Minister Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo.

Yellow fever is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of Aedes and Haemagogus mosquitoes.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Editing by Tom Hogue)