Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfPro8): Abstract 60 | Published: 09 Oct 2026
Esther Agyemang Opoku1, &, Rita Asante2, Magdalene Odikro2, Samuel Sackey2
1Bekwai Municipal Health Directorate, Ashanti Region, Ghana, 2Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
&Corresponding author: Esther Agyemang Opoku, Bekwai Municipal Health Directorate, Ashanti Region, Ghana, Email: ohemaaxta2019@gmail.com
Received: 11 Mar 2026, Accepted: 30 Aug 2026, Published: 09 Oct 2026
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Yellow Fever, case investigation, contact tracing, Bekwai Municipality, Ashanti Region, Ghana
©Esther Agyemang Opoku et al., Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Esther Agyemang Opoku et al., Yellow fever in a vaccinated child: Evidence from a field investigation in Bekwai Municipal, Ashanti Region, Ghana, 2026. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro8):60. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO8-0060
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes. It remains a public health problem in Ghana due to its outbreak potential and associated morbidity and mortality. An investigation was carried out after Bekwai Municipal suspected its first reported suspected case in the first quarter of 2026. This was to find potential sources of infection, evaluate the risk of transmission, and put in place suitable public health measures.
An investigation was carried out between March 27th and May 13th, 2026 in Amoamo in Bekwai Municipality. Information was obtained through interviews with the caregiver, household members, community members, and healthcare workers. Surveillance data on the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System (SORMAS), clinical records and case-based forms were reviewed. Active case search in households and health facilities, contact tracing, vaccination history review, environmental assessment were conducted. Blood sample was collected and transported under reverse cold chain conditions to the National Public Health Reference Laboratory for testing.
A 3-year-old female from Amoamo community who developed fever, jaundice, cough, and vomiting on 24 March 2026 tested positive for Yellow Fever IgM antibodies and malaria. The child had received routine childhood immunizations, including yellow fever vaccine. Five household contacts were traced and monitored, with no secondary cases detected, no history of contact with a suspected or confirmed case. Thirteen households and three health facilities identified no additional suspected cases. Environmental assessment revealed multiple mosquito breeding sites, including uncovered water containers and stagnant water collections around the community.
A yellow fever case was confirmed with no evidence of secondary transmission. Exposure to mosquito bites in a conducive breeding environment was the likely source of infection. Strengthening routine immunization, surveillance systems, vector control activities, and timely laboratory feedback is essential to reduce the risk of future outbreaks.
Menu