Overview

Causes

An infected mosquito passes the virus through a bite on the skin.

Mosquito Bite
Mosquito bite
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Risk Factors

Things that may raise the risk are:

  • Living in or going to places where yellow fever is common
  • Not getting a yellow fever vaccine, or
  • Not using mosquito protection

SymptomsandDiagnosis

Symptoms

Symptoms appear within a week after a mosquito bite. The acute phase lasts 3 to 4 days. Then symptoms go away. At the end of the acute phase, some people move to the toxic phase.

Some may not have symptoms. Those who do may have:

Acute phase:

  • Fever and chills
  • Headache
  • Muscle pain
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea or vomiting

Toxic phase:

  • High fever
  • Belly pain
  • Bleeding from the gums, nose, eyes, or stomach
  • Vomit that appears black—caused by bleeding
  • Yellowing of the skin—jaundice
  • Confusion, seizure, or coma

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about symptoms, health, and travel history. A physical exam will be done. Yellow fever can be confirmed by blood tests.

Treatments

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to ease symptoms. It may include:

  • Fluids by mouth or IV to prevent dehydration
  • Medicines to lower fever and pain
  • Dialysis (toxic phase) to help kidneys filter waste
  • Transfusion (toxic phase) to replace blood lost through bleeding
Hemodialysis
Dialysis pump
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Prevention

Yellow fever can be prevented with a vaccine.

The risk can be reduced by covering up the skin, wearing bug spray with DEET, and using screens.

People who have had yellow fever will not get it again.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

Edits to original content made by Denver Health.