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Ency. home > Disease > Y > Yellow fever

Yellow fever   

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Definition:

Yellow fever is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes characterized by fever, jaundice, kidney failure and hemorrhage.

Causes and Risks

Yellow fever is caused by an arbovirus, a small virus transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti, Aedes africanus, and Haemagogus). This disease is common in South America and in sub-Saharan Africa. Humans and monkeys are both hosts in the transmission cycle of this infection.

While yellow fever can affect individuals of all ages, the elderly have a higher risk of severe infection. Symptoms usually develop 3 to 6 days after the mosquito bite.

Yellow fever can be divided into three stages:

  • Early stage: headache, muscle aches, fever, loss of appetite, vomiting and jaundice are common.
  • Period of remission: fever and other symptoms resolve -- most individuals will recover at this stage, yet up to 15% may move onto the third, most dangerous stage.
  • Period of intoxication: characterized by multi-organ dysfunction -- liver and kidney failure, bleeding disorders/hemorrhage, brain dysfunction including delirium, seizures, coma, shock and in up to 20-30% individuals, death.

Ency. home > Disease > Y > Yellow fever

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