Yellow Fever

Yellow Fever

What is Yellow Fever?

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Treatment

There is no specific treatment for yellow fever. You can only establish support measures to combat fever and dehydration. Associated bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. Supportive measures may improve the outcome of severe cases, but are rarely available in poorer areas

Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. The "yellow" refers to the jaundice that affects some patients. The mortality of untreated severe cases can reach 50%. Are estimated to occur each year in the world 200 000 cases of yellow fever causing 30 000 deaths.

Prevention

Jungle yellow fever: In tropical rainforests yellow fever affects monkeys that are infected by wild mosquitoes. In turn, the monkeys transmit the virus to other mosquitoes that feed on blood, and infected mosquitoes can bite people entering the forest, producing occasional cases of yellow fever.Intermediate yellow fever: In humid or semi-humid areas of Africa small-scale epidemics occur. The semi-domestic mosquitoes infect both monkeys and man. The increased contact between people and infected mosquitoes leads to transmission. There may be instances simultaneously on many different peoples of an area.Urban yellow fever: When infected people introduce the virus in areas with high population density and a large number of Aedes mosquitoes and non-immune persons major epidemics occur.

Vaccination is the most important measure to prevent yellow fever. To prevent epidemics in high-risk areas with low immunization coverage is essential that outbreaks are identified and rapidly controlled by immunization. To prevent outbreaks in the affected regions, vaccination coverage must be at least 60% to 80% of the population at risk.