Yellow Fever – Causes and symptoms

Yellow Fever

Yellow fever has nothing to do with jaundice and the color yellow. It is a viral infection transmitted by mosquito bites. The elderly are more prone to severe infection and the symptoms develop almost after 3-6 days. It is most commonly found in South America and in sub-Saharan Africa.
Yellow fever is like any other fever but it can be divided into 3 stages. The first stage is full of symptoms like muscle and joint aches, flushing, headache, fever, vomiting, loss of appetite and jaundice. The symptoms remain briefly and go away on their own after a while. The second stage is the period of remission where some may get healed after the symptoms go, and some may progress to the third and most dangerous stage of intoxication within 24 hours. The final stage is intoxication wherein multi-organ dysfunction occurs. People in this stage may encounter liver, heart or kidney failure, hemorrhage, bleeding disorders and brain dysfunction including seizures, delirium, shock, coma and death.
The symptoms may include heart dysfunction, arrhythmias, fever, headache, jaundice, bleeding which may result in hemorrhage, coma, delirium, decreased urination, muscle aches (myalgia), face, tongue, red eyes, seizures, vomiting blood etc.
The signs and tests for yellow fever may be advanced like renal failure, liver failure and shock. The doctor should be reported about all the areas where the fever is seemed to advance. The diagnosis for yellow fever can be confirmed by blood tests.
Though yellow fever has no specific treatment, the symptoms can be reduced. Fluids can be taken intravenously, blood products can be taken from severe bleeding and dialysis for kidney failure.