Yellow fever in Colombia
Should I be worried? · Pathogen library: yellow fever virus · Colombia
| Official | Media, unverified | Reported this week | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths | — | 264 as of 21 Sept 2026 | — |
| Confirmed cases | — | 431 as of 10 Oct 2026 | — |
| Suspected cases | — | 1,183 as of 21 Sept 2026 | — |
Yellow fever in Colombia remains a live monitoring issue, but the current picture is uneven. The clearest official material retrieved in this session is not a fresh Colombian case bulletin: WHO said yellow fever transmission in the Americas continued into 2026, and CDC has a Level 2 travel notice for Colombia. The most recent Colombia-specific official figures we could retrieve are from a PAHO story citing Colombia’s Ministry of Health: through 2025-06-28, Colombia had 114 confirmed human cases and 49 deaths, including 95 cases and 35 deaths in Tolima, with confirmed cases linked to the sylvatic transmission cycle. Recent media reports describe a larger 2026 outbreak, but they do not agree with each other. One report cited 58 cases and 27 deaths in 2026; another said the outbreak had passed 192 cases; another extracted item cited 206 cases and 86 deaths. None of those newer totals were matched in a retrieved current official Colombian bulletin during this run. What to watch next is straightforward: an updated official national total from Colombia or PAHO, whether transmission is still entirely sylvatic or moving toward peri-urban/urban Aedes amplification, and how broad reactive vaccination has become in affected departments. The outbreak is concerning because yellow fever can be highly lethal among confirmed cases, but uncertainty about the current numerator and denominator is still substantial.
Situation as of 13 Oct 2026
Official
WHO reports that yellow fever transmission in the Americas continued into 2026, and CDC has a Level 2 travel notice for Colombia. The most recent Colombia-specific official figures retrieved in this session are older: a PAHO story citing Colombia’s Ministry of Health said that through 2025-06-28 Colombia had 114 confirmed human cases and 49 deaths, including 95 cases and 35 deaths in Tolima, and that all confirmed cases were associated with the sylvatic transmission cycle.
Media, unverified
Recent media and aggregator coverage describes a larger Colombia outbreak in 2026, but totals differ. One report cited 58 cases and 27 deaths in 2026, another said the outbreak had surpassed 192 cases, and another extracted item cited 206 cases and 86 deaths for Colombia.
Control measures
Officially described measures include vaccination, mosquito-bite prevention, surveillance, laboratory confirmation, and cross-border coordination. In the Colombia response described by PAHO, primate deaths triggered vaccination of environmental workers, entomological studies, and field investigation. CDC advises vaccination at least 10 days before travel to risk areas and measures to prevent mosquito bites.
Timeline
- · Through epidemiological week 26, Colombia had 114 confirmed human yellow fever cases and 49 deaths; Tolima accounted for 95 cases and 35 deaths. The PAHO story said all confirmed cases were linked to the sylvatic transmission cycle.
- · WHO said yellow fever transmission in the Americas remained active in 2026, with 79 human infections reported across six countries from 2026-01-01 to 2026-05-26.
- · A media report citing Colombia’s national institute said Colombia had 58 cases and 27 deaths in 2026, but this was not verified against a retrieved official Colombian bulletin in this session.
- · By this date, CDC travel guidance for Colombia was circulating at Level 2, advising enhanced precautions, vaccination, and mosquito-bite prevention; the fetched notice text did not give a case total.
Latest reports
- · Monumental · Media, unverified
CCSS enabled nearly 30,000 additional yellow fever vaccine doses - · travelhealthpro.org.uk · Media, unverified
NaTHNaC - Colombia - · paho.org · Media, unverified
Yellow Fever: How three monkey deaths sparked a critical ... - · beaconbio.org · Media, unverified
Yellow fever outbreak in Colombia surpasses 192 cases ... - · wwwnc.cdc.gov · Media, unverified
Yellow Fever in Colombia - Level 2 - · travelhealthpro.org.uk · Media, unverified
Yellow fever update - · pulzo.com · Media, unverified
Puntos de vacunación contra la fiebre amarilla para adultos mayores y gestantes en Bogotá: cómo consultar y acceder - · teletica.com · Media, unverified
Sector privado garantiza disponibilidad de vacuna contra fiebre amarilla para viajeros - · medicaldaily.com · Media, unverified
Colombia Confirms 58 Yellow Fever Cases and 27 Deaths This Year as CDC Posts Level 2 Travel Notice