Symptoms and Transmission of Yellow Fever
infected individuals who have symptoms of yellow fever may want to see their doctor to see if treatment is needed.
Symptoms of yellow fever can range from severe abdominal pain to bleeding in the eyes, nose, and mouth.
However, once you have been diagnosed with yellow fever, treatment options are much more limited.
Here are some tips to help you deal with the disease.
Read on to find out more about the symptoms and transmission of yellow fever.
Symptoms
Symptoms of yellow fever usually develop three to six days after the initial infection, although some individuals may not develop these symptoms right away.
Common symptoms include fever, prominent backache, vomiting dark blood, loss of appetite, and nausea.
However, the disease does not necessarily lead to death, and it is possible to recover completely and even live for several weeks.
For this reason, prevention is essential, especially for certain age groups.
While the virus is generally contagious, some strains are more serious than others, and precautions can help prevent the infection.
When the symptoms of yellow fever are present, a doctor should order a blood test to determine whether you have the disease.
The blood test will detect whether the virus is present in your blood, whether you have antibodies against the virus, and whether you have symptoms.
If the symptoms persist after a few days, your doctor may order a yellow fever blood test to check for any antibodies.
These tests may take several days to produce results.
Until the test results are available, you will need supportive care, such as fluids and oxygen, replacing the blood that has been lost, and treating secondary infections.
Transmission
It is believed that mosquitoes are the main source of yellow fever.
Several studies, including those by Camp Lazear in Cuba, show that mosquitoes ingest the blood of the infected person, not other infected people.
The intermediate host is the Culex fasciatus.
Hence, female mosquitoes which feed on infected people do not carry the infectious agent. However, this theory has not been confirmed, since the earliest recorded cases of yellow fever in Cuba dated back to 1753.
The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes in both urban and forest areas.
Most recent cases of YFV in Brazil are linked to primates in the forest, but most historical outbreaks were attributed to urban transmission, which can produce large outbreaks in urban areas.
Fortunately, there is a vaccine available against the disease, but its efficacy is limited.
In Brazil, however, it is administered to residents living near forests, which are deemed at high risk for getting infected.
Treatment
There is no known cure for yellow fever, but vaccination against the disease is important. Treatment for yellow fever is supportive and symptomatic.
In severe cases, medications may be needed to replace fluids, combat hypotension, and possibly dialysis.
Fever-sufferers should rest and get plenty of fresh air to stay hydrated.
They should also avoid alcohol and tobacco products, as these can worsen the symptoms.
Yellow fever is not life-threatening unless it involves organs, such as the brain.
In the United States, the first documented case of yellow fever was in 1793.
A doctor named Howell brought the dead to Philadelphia, where the disease was being treated.
In 1904, an article by Rosenberg, Charles E., in Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, detailed the therapeutic revolution that was underway.
Philadelphia has many organizations dedicated to the treatment of yellow fever and has even started school programs to educate students about the disease.
The first treatment of yellow fever was to give an inoculated sponge a dose of vitamin C and then to apply an ointment containing the vitamin A-rich substance tetrahydrofuran.
Prevention
Yellow fever is spread by mosquitoes. They generally bite two to three hours after dawn and during the early evening.
The best way to avoid the illness is to protect yourself from mosquito bites by sleeping under an insecticide-treated bed net.
In addition, try to stay in screened, air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.
Additionally, apply permethrin insecticide to clothing and other areas where you spend a lot of time outdoors.
The main goal of yellow fever control is prevention. Early diagnosis is the best cure, but if you do have symptoms of yellow fever, it is best to visit a doctor.
Your doctor will ask you questions to learn more about your symptoms and may also want to draw a blood sample to confirm the diagnosis.
Despite the varying severity of symptoms, there is no cure for yellow fever.
In areas that experience outbreaks of the disease, high vaccination rates can prevent the virus from spreading to others.
Conclusion
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