Yellow fever
Yellow fever is a virus from mosquitos in Africa and South America, a severe spreading infection. The infection ranges from aches to jaundice.
Yellow fever spread
The virus only spreads through mosquito bites, not close contact with someone infected. They mainly bite during the day and can spread malaria and dengue. Even vaccinated, try to avoid mosquito bites while traveling. Use mosquito nets, clothes that cover the entire body, and insect repellent that contains 30%–50% DEET.
Yellow fever found in:
- Parts of sub-Saharan Africa
- Parts of South and Central America
- Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean islands)
Yellow fever vaccination
- Vaccination of yellow fever is recommended if you are traveling to places where they are mostly found.
- Or when a country requires you to have certification of vaccination before entering. For the certificate to be valid, you must have had vaccination at least 10 days prior.
- When you or your child have had an MMR vaccination, you probably need to wait at least four weeks to get your yellow fever vaccination.
- The vaccination needs no boosters since they provide lifelong protection.
Yellow fever symptoms
- Rise in temperature
- Headache
- Sickness or vomiting
- Muscle pain
- Sensitive to light
- Loss of appetite
One in four people might experience the following symptoms:
- Jaundice
- Bleeding from mouth, eyes, nose, or ears
- Blood in stool
Yellow fever treatments
There is no direct cure for yellow fever, but with proper treatments to fight the symptoms and infections, people mostly make a full recovery within 3–4 days. People with severe symptoms may need to rush to the hospital for close monitoring treatments. Drink more water to avoid dehydration.
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 23 JUNE 2022