Named after the jaundice symptoms that some patients experience when they contract this acute viral disease, yellow fever is a hemorrhagic sickness that is prevalent in South American and many African nations despite the existence of an effective vaccine.
Until the development of a vaccine in the early 20th century, epidemics of yellow fever had been responsible for millions of deaths since the first recorded epidemics in the 1700s. Unvaccinated populations are still at risk, with an estimated 30,000 deaths each year from the disease and 200,000 illnesses.
The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and affects the body after a three to five-day incubation period, spreading rapidly through the lymphatic system. Not all people who contract yellow fever experience severe symptoms, with those who have previously been exposed to other similar viruses generally experiencing only fever and headache. More severe cases can lead to internal hemorrhaging and death.
How serious: there is no cure for yellow fever. Once contracted, symptoms range from mild to severe and can lead to death.
How likely: as most travelers to affected areas have been vaccinated, contracting the disease is unlikely although the vaccine is not 100 percent effective.
How to get it: yellow fever is contracted when a person is bitten by a mosquito that carries the virus.
Where it is found: the disease is found in many African countries including Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania while South American countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Peru are also affected.
Symptoms: of the disease include headache and fever with more severe cases experiencing bleeding into the skin, chills, vomiting and jaundice. Internal hemorrhaging can occur in the final stages, which can lead to coma and death. Medical treatment should be sought.
How to avoid it: the best prevention is to get vaccinated against yellow fever before traveling to a country that is known to harbor the disease. However, as vaccines are not 100 percent effective, it is necessary to avoid areas where there are outbreaks and take precautions against getting bitten.
How to treat it: symptomatic treatment carried out by a medical professional, such as fluid replacement and blood transfusions, can be offered but there is no cure for the disease.
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