Yellow fever outbreak in Ivory Coast kills one: health ministry

Eighty-nine people have contracted yellow fever and one person has died in recent weeks during an outbreak in Ivory Coast, the health ministry said Tuesday.

Most of the confirmed cases were in the West African country's economic capital Abidjan, the ministry said in a statement.

It recommended that any unvaccinated people be vaccinated against yellow fever.

"The outbreak occurs in the context of a dengue outbreak," the ministry said, adding that dengue and yellow fever are viral diseases transmitted by the same mosquito.

"The vector control measures that have been implemented to deal with dengue also work for the yellow fever outbreak."

In early June, 130 cases of dengue were reported including two deaths, with the authorities launching a major mosquito-control campaign.

Abidjan is going through the end of its rainy season, which spurs mosquito breeding.

Symptoms of yellow fever -- including high fever, vomiting and muscle aches -- usually manifest themselves three to six days after a person is bitten by an infected mosquito.

The infection caused by yellow fever is usually mild, but in some cases can be life-threatening and result in kidney and liver failure.

Yellow fever is found only in parts of South America and Africa.