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YELLOW FEVER

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YELLOW FEVER

Yellow fever is a serious viral disease that is transmitted to human through mosquito bites.

  • This condition is characterized by a high fever and jaundice- a condition that causes yellowness of the eyes, skin, and
  • Many cases may be mild, however, yellow fever can be chronic and life-threatening leading to internal bleeding and organ damage and sometimes death.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) reports about 84,000 cases of yellow fever in 2013 and between 29,000 and 60,000 fatalities.
  • Yellow fever disease is more prevalent in subtropical and tropical area like in some parts of Africa, the Caribbean and South America with about 90% of cases from Africa.
  • The only mode of transmission is from an infection-carrying mosquito.
  • A person that recovers may likely be immune for life

CAUSES

It is caused by flavivirus of the Flaviviridae family and transmitted through the bite of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. The mosquitoes get infected by biting the blood of an infected human.

During travel, some factors determine an individual’s risk of acquiring yellow fever.

  • Area of travel
  • Season
  • Duration of exposure
  • Activities during travel
  • Immunization status of such an individual
  • The local rate of transmission

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms may be classified into two: the initial, acute stage and the toxic stage.

The symptoms that may be experienced in an initial, acute stage includes:

  • High fever
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Headache
  • Loss of appetite
  • Dizziness
  • Chills
  • Backaches
  • Joint aches
  • Muscle aches

In the toxic stage, the symptoms are more severe and may include:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Organ failure such as kidney failure, liver failure
  • Vomiting, sometimes with blood
  • Liver failure
  • Recurring fever
  • Fatigue
  • coma
  • Hemorrhage
  • Seizure]
  • Jaundice
  • Irregular heartbeat.
  • Bleeding from the gums, eyes, nose, eyes or stomach.

Most people that develop toxic stage symptoms die within 2 weeks.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Your doctor will ask you about your sign and symptoms and your travel history (when and where), activities during travel.  Diagnosis will be confirmed after your doctor carries out a blood test.

A blood test may reveal the presence of the virus or antibodies produced by the immune system in response to the infection.

There is numerous presence of blood abnormalities in people with yellow fever especially those who go on to develop the toxic phase of the disease. These may include a drop in white blood cell count, a low platelet count, elevation in liver function and some other infections. A blood will demonstrate the presence of such abnormalities.

This blood test may include Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

TREATMENT

No effective anti-viral medication for yellow fever exists. Treatment is aimed at assisting the immune system in fighting off the disease and relieving the symptoms of the disease. Hospitalization is advisable and intensive care may be necessary.

The measures implemented depend on the severity of the disease, and may include:

  • Administration of oxygen
  • Dialysis for kidney failure
  • Blood transfusion in cases of severe bleeding
  • Getting enough fluid for dehydration
  • Medications to maintain blood pressure
  • Antibiotics for some other infections
  • Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should be avoided because of its anticoagulant effect.
  • Travelers should be vaccinated before going to affected areas to reduce their risk of being infected. Non-native people tend to develop severe illness when infected.