Yellow Fever in Brazil:

Alert in Rio de Janeiro and Angra.
The outbreak of yellow fever is no longer a health alert and has become a real problem. Therefore, the vaccine should be included in the plans of the tourists, without diminishing the use of other measures: repellent, mosquito net, insecticide, trousers, and long sleeves, etc.

The evolution is so rapid that the usual sources of information like the CDC of the USA or the travelers’ medicine websites and their maps are outdated. The news portals of Brazil follow the problem more closely.

The area of Rio de Janeiro and Angra dos Reis, historical nautical destinations, have been punished punctually in recent days. Mortality in Angra is the data of the day: 7 out of 12 reported cases. The overall mortality in the state of Rio de Janeiro is 45%.

The rest of the statistics:
Minas Gerais 225 cases with 76 deaths.
São Paulo with 181 cases and 53 deaths.
Rio de Janeiro with 74 cases and 33 fatal.
Updated map of the risk areas:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWcnjaVXUAAqILi.jpg
Omar Wetdoc

We spend 5 months in Brazil and thoroughly enjoyed it! Three months at Terminal Nautico, Salvador, two weeks in Recife and four weeks at Jacare Village Marina in Cabedelo. Nor once did we feel threatened in any way nor did we encounter any difficulties. Everybody was helpful and mostly went out of their way to be of assistance. We extensively sailed around the Salvador (Bahia de Todos Santos) area and visited many popular and remote anchorages. We hired a vehicle and drove over 2400 kilometers visiting many inland towns and villages. Everywhere we went, we met generous and helpful people across the entire spectrum – rich and poor, old and young.

Marcello Brochini from Bahia Boats in Salvador went out of his way to show us more of Brazilian life – he can also assist in importing spare parts and yacht equipment duty-free. Crime is certainly not as common some people would want you to believe and we have seen far worse in some sophisticated first world countries. Learn a few Portuguese words (hardly anybody can speak English), relax, take it easy, mix with the laid back Brazilian people, don’t expect things done in a rush, make sure to stock up on their Cachaca – you will have a great time and then some more!

I’m in Itiparica for one week. During this time one boat was boarded during the night and robbed (the owners and their dog were on the boat sleeping and the boat was open, they noticed the theft the next morning), one couple was attacked by 4 locals with machetes whilst on the beach to the left of the marina during the afternoon, and their bag was stolen and one boat was boarded during the day while the owners were at the marina. Luckily another boat noticed the thieves on board and chased them in their dinghy.

Whilst these thieves were caught and hopefully, the nightmare is over, cruisers should be careful.

All of the involved boats are in the anchor field directly outside the marina.
I will tell the 3 couples about noonsite and see if they can send in first-hand reports.
Tom
Itiparica, 30.03.2015