Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte declared on Friday a 90-day state of national emergency in the South American country due to yellow fever, which has reappeared after 34 years of not being registered.

According to news reaching here from Paraguay's capital city, Asuncion, the measure is to avoid an epidemic because of the lack of vaccines and the appearance of cases in densely populated zones near Asuncion.

The declaration of state of national emergency will allow Paraguay's Health Ministry to carry out an exceptional disbursement of resources.

The yellow fever has reached Luque locality, the site of Silvio Pettirossi international airport.

Last week a youth in San Lorenzo municipality died allegedly due to yellow fever.

So far three suspicious cases have been detected in Luque and two others in San lorenzo, 20 kilometers from Asuncion.

The decree of this state of emergency allows the government to request international aid to supply Paraguay with more vaccines, since it only had 30,000 doses and they are about to be finished.

On Thursday 50,000 doses arrived to Paraguay from Brazil and on Friday a similar amount will arrive.

The Peruvian government offered 200,000 doses, of which some 144,000 will arrive on Saturday and Sunday, while the Pan American Health Organization (OPS) will send 600,000 doses on March.

The OPS emitted a regional alert due to the appearance of 32 yellow fever cases in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.

The OPS suggested a widespread vaccination to avoid the decease from spreading.

(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2008)