A measles epidemic threatens an isolated Amazonian tribe

Rory Smith, CNN

A measles epidemic struck an isolated Amazonian tribe, the Yanomami, on the border of Venezuela and from Brazil, according to Survival International, the non-governmental organization that works to protect tribal peoples

The epidemic has put 23 tribesmen in the hospital and threatens hundreds of people. other.

"Remote Indigenous Peoples with Little Contact with the Dominant Society Have Low Resistance to Introduced Diseases" Sarah Shenker, senior researcher at Survival International

"That's why this measles epidemic has [19659008] broke The situation on the border between Venezuela and Brazil in recent months is particularly worrying for the Yanomami and could be catastrophic. "

The non-governmental organization Watinaba, which defends the rights of various groups Amazonian Indians in Venezuela, tweeted on Thursday about the measles epidemic, showing various Yanomami who contracted measles and asked for vaccinations for the tribes.

Measles is a highly contagious – and potentially fatal – viral disease that usually spreads from person to person while breathing or coughing, symptoms include runny nose, fever, inflammation of the eyes and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. According to the World Health Organization, complications such as blindness, brain inflammation and even death can occur in about 30% of cases.

In 2016, the WHO declared Brazil measles-free in the rest of America. However, between January and the end of May, 995 cases were reported in Brazil, according to WHO.

According to the Brazilian Ministry of Health, Venezuelans who crossed the border brought measles to Brazil. The 995 cases of measles reported were in the border states of Amazonas and Roraima.

The ongoing economic and political crisis in Venezuela, which has resulted in a mbadive shortage of medicines and vaccines, has brought measles back into the country in 2017. A report by the International Crisis Group. Since July 2017, there have been 2,150 confirmed cases of measles in Venezuela

. But the arrival of illegal miners – probably from Venezuela – in Yanomami territory coincided with tribal members contracting the disease, said Shenker, who thinks they owe the Brazilian authorities have deployed medical teams in the region and 711,400 doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

But the Yanomami remain particularly at risk because of their low immunity. The Yanomami are the largest semi-isolated tribe of South America, whose territory extends over the jungles and mountains of northern Brazil and southern Venezuela. During the 1980s, more than 40,000 gold miners entered their territory, firing on tribes, destroying their villages and exposing them to the disease, according to Survival International. The Yanomami lost 20% of their population during these incursions

Today, it is estimated that there are 35,000 Yanomami left.

Although a large part of the Yanomami population had at least some contact with foreigners, there are still groups and villages that have never been exposed. According to Shenker, contacts with medical experts are dangerous, which exposes them to the risk of contracting external diseases

Yanomami representatives sought help and vaccination from the Venezuelan authorities, said Luis Bello, lawyer. for Watinaba.

Despite the availability of a vaccine, measles remains an important factor of death among children worldwide. In 2016, measles caused the deaths of nearly 90,000 people – mostly children under five.

MMR vaccine is usually given in two doses in early childhood. One dose is about 93% effective at preventing measles if the person is exposed to the virus, while two doses are about 97% effective, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaccinate the Yanomami against measles first step in protecting these tribal people who had contact with strangers. However, longer-term solutions are needed to protect the Yanomami from diseases like measles – and the people who bring these diseases – that threaten their existence, according to Shenker.

"We must protect their land. This is the only possible long-term solution to prevent such potentially disastrous epidemics from reaching the Yanomami and other tribes by protecting their lands. "