This infectious disease gets its name from one of its more prominent symptoms: yellow eyes
Photo Credit: Al Alarabiya
Name
Yellow Fever
Transmission
- A viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes or Haemagogus species mosquito
- People cannot directly infect each other
- However, infected people can infect mosquitos which can go on to bite and infect new people
Geography
31 African countries and 13 South American countries
Incubation Period
3 – 6 days
Signs and Symptoms
Phase One (most infected people are not ill or only develop a mild illness)
- Fever
- Body aches
- Weakness
- Chills
- Severe headache
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
Phase Two (~15% of cases progress to this more severe phase)
- High fever
- Abdominal pain
- Bleeding
- Jaundice (often characterized by yellow eyes)
- Shock
- Multiple organ failure
Diagnosis
- Laboratory blood test
- Yellow fever is difficult to diagnose, especially during the early stages as it can be confused with malaria and other hemorrhagic fevers such as dengue
Treatment
No specific treatments are available to help patients will yellow fever so usually treatment involves supportive care and treatment for symptoms (rest, fluids, pain relievers, etc.)
Prognosis
- Among those who develop the more severe form of the illness, 20–50% will die without treatment
- Those who recover usually develop an immunity that protects against subsequent infection
Prevention: What Can You Do?
- Get the yellow fever vaccine which provides lifetime protection, especially if you are traveling to or living in high-risk regions
- Avoid mosquito bites (wear insect repellent and use long clothing to reduce the chance of bites)
Yellow Fever In the News
- Angola grapples with worst yellow fever outbreak in 30 years
- A ‘Forgotten Disease’ Is Suddenly Causing New Worries
- East Africa: Region on Yellow Fever Alert
Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/yellowfever/index.html
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs100/en/
