Brazil yellow fever outbreak 'worst on record'

Sixty-five people are confirmed so far to have died in Brazil over the last two months in the country's worst yellow fever outbreak on record, the government said.

There have been 180 confirmed cases of the disease, which is carried by mosquitoes, since December 1, the health ministry said Monday.

Most have been in the south-eastern Minas Gerais state, where 56 people have died. Another six died in Espiritu Santo and three in Sao Paulo, the health ministry said.

A further 89 suspicious deaths and 751 possible cases of illness are being investigated, meaning the toll could rise.

This has been the worst outbreak since statistics began in 1980 and far worse than the previous most serious outbreak in 2000 which saw 40 deaths and 85 confirmed cases.