Yellow Fever
What is it?
Yellow fever is a viral infection spread by mosquitoes. The infection is most prevalent in Africa and South America, where it affects both travelers and residents.
Yellow fever is most commonly transmitted to humans and monkeys. Mosquitoes transmit the virus back and forth between monkeys, humans or both.
Additional names
This group contains additional names:
- Sylvatic Yellow Fever
Signs & symptoms
In the acute phase of the infection, you may experience the following symptoms:
Fever
Headache
Muscle aches, particularly in your back and knees
Sensitivity to light
Nausea, vomiting or both
Loss of appetite
Dizziness
Red eyes, face or tongue
Within several days, these symptoms usually disappear.
Some individuals with acute yellow fever enter a toxic phase after the acute phase, even though symptoms may disappear for a day or two after the acute phase. Acute signs and symptoms return during the toxic phase, along with more severe and life-threatening ones. These can include:
Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes
Abdominal pain and vomiting, sometimes of blood
Decreased urination
Bleeding from your nose, mouth and eyes
Slow heart rate
Liver and kidney failure
Brain dysfunction, including delirium, seizures and coma
There is a possibility of death during the toxic phase of yellow fever.
Diagnosis
The virus itself may appear in your blood if you have yellow fever. If not, blood tests can also detect virus-specific antibodies and substances.
Treatment
Yellow fever cannot be treated with antiviral medications. The majority of treatment is supportive care provided in hospitals
☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.
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