5 yellow fever deaths in Brazil

By ALAN CLENDENNING
The government has confirmed that five people have died because of yellow fever in Brazil, including a Spanish citizen, but the president of Latin America's largest nation insisted that the outbreak is under control.
Three of the five cases were confirmed Tuesday, the Brazilian Health Ministry said in a statement, adding that a sixth person contracted the disease but was recovering while undergoing treatment.
Nearly 20 suspected cases of yellow fever, a deadly virus spread by mosquitoes, remain under investigation in Brazil. But government officials have repeatedly said there is no risk of an epidemic or infection in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and in coastal areas — the parts of Brazil most visited by tourists.
However, many Brazilians have been spooked by the cases, and are lining up for hours at public health clinics to receive free vaccinations.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told reporters during a trip to Cuba that there is no risk that the yellow fever identified in rural areas will spread to the large population centers where most Brazilians live.
"There is no danger of urban yellow fever," said Silva, according to Brazil's Agencia Estado news service.
But Silva said it's important for people heading to remote parts of Brazil where yellow fever has been a risk for decades to get vaccinated at least 10 days before they travel so the vaccine will take effect.
The Health Ministry reiterated that the deaths and the suspected cases were restricted to people who traveled without vaccination to rural areas and regions of dense forestation.
Tests confirmed that Salvador Perez de La Cal, a Spaniard who was married to a Brazilian woman, died because of the disease on Saturday, the official Agencia Brasil news service said.
He was hospitalized for weeks after visiting a farm in the interior of Goias state.