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The Yellow Fever virus is spread by the bite of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, a different species to the one that spreads malaria (Anopheles). Yellow Fever is caught from daytime bites, and malaria between dawn & dusk. It is one of a group of viruses known as Arboviruses, and it is a disease of rain forest primates. Although not directly infectious between humans, it is spread by mosquitoes biting one person and then moving on to another – sometimes leading to outbreaks in towns and cities known as Urban Yellow Fever.

The geographical distribution can be seen on the map above.

The disease goes through two stages. The first is when the infection takes hold and the virus is invading the host cells, and the second follows within three days or so when the body's immune system fights the infection. During this stage, the antibodies produced may cause damage to blood vessels, which is why Yellow Fever and other arboviruses often cause bleeding.

Sometimes, the infection is mild and may even go unrecognised, with someone merely feeling 'under the weather' for a while. However a life-threatening condition is somewhat more likely especially amongst travellers who will have a different immunity profile. After an 'incubation' period of a few days, the patient will have a fever with a severe and constant headache coupled with abdominal pain and vomiting.

A short period then ensues which may seem like a recovery, but then the body can go into shock as bleeding and organ failure develop. Patients will appear jaundiced due to liver failure, hence the term 'Yellow Fever'. There is no cure, and the fatality rate is approximately 5%. Those who survive are immune for life.

Yellow Fever vaccinations must be given in an approved, registered centre which meets prescribed standards.

NATIONS IN THE ENDEMIC ZONES

AFRICA
Angola
Benin
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo
Côte d'Ivoire
Democratic Republic of Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Gabon
The Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Liberia
Mali
Mauritania
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
São Tomé and Principe
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda

SOUTH AMERICA

Argentina (part)
Bolivia (part)
Brazil (part)
Colombia
Ecuador(part)
French Guiana
Guyana
Panama(part)
Paraguay (part)
Peru (part)
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Venezuela (part)

The National Travel Health Network and Centre provides up-to-the minute health advice for destination throughout the world. Click here to visit Nathnac. Opens in a new window  

The global picture changes constantly, and the Foreign and Commonwealth office provides a superb, 'up to the minute' service online which covers not just health advice, but a great deal more besides. Opens in a new window.

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