Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42031486›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2026

Epidemiological, entomological and community determinants of the 2021 yellow fever outbreak in Wa East District, Ghana: cross-sectional descriptive outbreak investigation.

Barnabas Bessing, Simon Aabalekuu, Justine Bangniyel, Ishmael Kunateh Alhassan, Collins Boateng Danquah

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Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Barnabas BessingThe Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD) Unit, World Health Organization (WHO) African Regional Office (AFRO), Harare, Zimbabwe benabala1@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0490-689X
Simon AabalekuuPublic Health Department, Upper West Regional Health Directorate, Ghana Health Service, Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5580-4909
Justine BangniyelPublic Health Department, Upper West Regional Health Directorate, Ghana Health Service, Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana.
Ishmael Kunateh AlhassanApplied Epidemiology and Disease Control, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Collins Boateng DanquahPublic Health Department, Upper West Regional Health Directorate, Ghana Health Service, Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo describe the epidemiology, ecological determinants and public-health response to a yellow-fever (YF) outbreak in Wa East District (WED), Ghana, and to identify operational gaps to strengthen surveillance and immunisation in high-risk rural settings.

designA cross-sectional descriptive outbreak investigation integrating epidemiological, entomological, vaccination-coverage and community knowledge assessments, conducted under Ghana's Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response framework.

settingWED, located in the Upper West Region of Ghana, is an agrarian, forest-fringe area bordering the Mole National Park, characterised by limited access to health services and seasonal nomadic movements.

participantsAll suspected YF cases (N=57) reported between epidemiological weeks 41-46 of 2021; 50 community respondents interviewed for knowledge and awareness and 52 households inspected for entomological indices.

main outcome measuresDemographic and clinical characteristics of cases, spatial-temporal distribution, vaccination coverage,

resultsA total of 57 suspected cases (33 males 24 females) were identified, of which 12 (21.1%) were laboratory-confirmed. The case-fatality ratio among confirmed cases was 33.3% (95% CI 9.7% to 65.1%). Most cases occurred in individuals aged 6-30 years and were clustered in the Ducie community. The epidemic curve, based on confirmed cases, showed a single focal wave between epidemiological weeks 41 and 46 of 2021, peaking in week 45 and declining thereafter following intensified outbreak response activities, particularly surveillance and risk communication. Routine YF vaccination coverage was 25% before the outbreak, increasing to 95% after the mass campaign. The district's composite risk score was 83%, indicating very high transmission risk. Entomological indices (House Index=48.5%, CI=36.1%, Breteau Index=159.6) exceeded WHO thresholds, confirming intense

conclusionsThe outbreak reflected the convergence of ecological vulnerability, low baseline immunity and poor community awareness. Sustained high routine immunisation, structured

Indexed as

Disease OutbreaksHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeYellow FeverAdolescentAdultAedesAnimalsChildChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGhanaHumansInfantMaleMiddle AgedEPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIESEPIDEMIOLOGYPUBLIC HEALTH

Identifiers

PMID42031486
PMCPMC13110613

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.