Yellow Fever

Introduction

Yellow fever is caused by a virus that is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. These mosquitoes thrive in and near human habitations where they breed in even the cleanest water. . Humans and monkeys are most commonly infected with the yellow fever virus. Mosquitoes transmit the virus back and forth between monkeys, humans or both. When a mosquito bites a human or a monkey infected with yellow fever, the virus enters the mosquito's bloodstream and circulates before settling in the salivary glands. When the infected mosquito bites another monkey or human, the virus then enters the host's bloodstream, where it may cause illness.

Treatment

No antiviral medications have proved helpful in treating yellow fever. As a result, treatment consists primarily of supportive care in a hospital. This includes providing fluids and oxygen, maintaining adequate blood pressure, replacing blood loss, providing dialysis for kidney failure, and treating any other infections that develop.

Statistics

There is no risk of yellow fever in China. The government of China requires proof of yellow fever vaccination only if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever. This does not include the US. If you are traveling from a country other than the US, check this list to see if you may be required to get the yellow fever vaccine

Research

Yellow fever vaccine–associated viscerotropic disease (YEL-AVD) occurs on very rare occasions after the first immunization with the yellow fever vaccine. Onset is within 10 days of vaccination and the pathological process is characterised by severe multi-organ failure and an overall case–fatality rate in excess of 60%. Known risk factors include a history of thymus disease such as thymoma or thymectomy and aged 60 years and older.