What do I need to know before I travel?
Public Health Scotland logo

Fit for Travel Logo

Information on how to stay safe and healthy abroad. About us.

Yellow fever in Brazil: Sao Paulo State

17 Jan 2025

According to media reports, Sao Paulo State has reported its first case of yellow fever for 2025.

The case is a resident of São Paulo city who was recently in a rural area of Socorro, in the region of Campinas.

Yellow fever has also been reported in monkeys in the Ribeirão Preto, Pinhalzinho and Socorro regions of Sao Paulo state.

Yellow fever is an acute viral disease which is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. It is found in tropical areas of Africa and Central and South America.

Yellow fever is a disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes that bite during the day. The most common symptoms are fever, muscle pain with prominent obvious backache, headache, loss of appetite, and feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting). A small proportion of people that become infected can become severely unwell and die.

Advice to travellers

If you are visiting an area where yellow fever is present you should:

A yellow fever vaccine is available to protect you against yellow fever. Vaccination is recommended if you are visiting areas where there is a risk of yellow fever transmission. The vaccine is only available at designated yellow fever centres.

Detailed guidance can be found on fitfortravel advice page on Yellow Fever.