Yellow Fever

Source: The Hindu

Context:

A total of 117 passengers of Indian Origin that have arrived from Sudan are currently quarantined because they were not vaccinated against Yellow Fever.

Yellow Fever:

• Yellow fever is named so because it is often associated with jaundice, which causes a yellowing of the skin and eyes.
• Yellow fever is endemic in 47 countries in Africa, Central, and South America, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
• About 90% of reported cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

Transmission:

1. The yellow fever virus is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes, with the most common vector being the Aedes species – the same mosquito that spreads other viruses like Zika, Chikungunya, and Dengue.
2. The Haemogogus mosquito also spreads the virus, mainly found in jungle areas. Yellow fever cannot be spread from one person to another through contact.

Yellow Fever Symptoms

Incubation Period

Yellow fever virus incubates in the body for 3 to 6 days after contraction

Two Phases of Symptoms

Symptoms usually present themselves in 2 phases

The first, “acute”, phase:

• causes fever, muscle pain or vomiting
• Most patients improve and their symptoms disappear after 3 to 4 days

Second Toxic Phase

• A small percentage of people enter a second, more toxic phase within 24 hours of the initial remission
• They will experience high fever, JAUNDICE, and abdominal pain with vomiting and deteriorating kidney function

Prevention and Treatment of Yellow Fever

Yellow fever is a preventable disease, and its treatment primarily focuses on managing the symptoms. Below are the details:

Prevention:

Yellow fever can be prevented by getting vaccinated with the 17D vaccine, which provides lifelong immunity against the disease.

Treatment:

There is no specific treatment for yellow fever, but supportive treatment can help in managing symptoms such as dehydration, fever, and infection.

Bacterial infections that are associated with yellow fever can be treated with antibiotics to prevent further complications.