Yes, I said yellow fever. In the first reported cases of yellow fever in 60 years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the reports of the disease in Latin America. Officials are checking on availability of vaccine supplies.
Yellow fever is a vector borne virus carried by mosquitoes. Symptoms usually appear in 3 stages about 6 days after infection:
- a period of fever, anorexia, muscle pain, headache, nausea/vomiting, and jaundice.
- a brief period of remission (24 hours), most will recover at this point but some will progress to the next phase (intoxication).
- onset of symptoms of multi-system organ failure including general bleeding disorders, liver and kidney failure, delirium, seizures, and coma.
Once contracted, treatment of the yellow fever involves treatment of symptoms and side effects only. prevention of the disease is more important. Administration of the vaccine 14 days prior to contact is recommended for persons traveling in regions known to be at risk for yellow fever. Other precautions include wearing long sleeves and sleeping inside mosquito proof netting.
