Yellow fever is a widespread illness caused by the Flavivirus, affecting the entire body. In its more severe form, it can lead to high fever, skin hemorrhaging, and cell death in the kidneys and liver. Liver damage from the virus causes a yellowing of the skin, which is where the term "yellow" in "yellow fever" comes from. Historically, yellow fever struck port cities in the United States. A reader notes, "This disease was common in the deep south, not just in coastal areas. My grandparents survived an outbreak of yellow fever in central Mississippi around 1900, far from the coast." Today, the disease is mostly found in tropical regions of Africa and the Americas. The virus is typically spread through mosquito bites. In urban environments, the Aedes aegypti mosquito can transmit yellow fever from person to person. In jungle areas, mosquitoes that breed in tree holes transmit the virus from monkeys to humans. Diagnosis is typically made through observation or, if necessary, by isolating the virus from a blood sample.There is no specific cure for yellow fever, though certain medications might be attempted. Pain relievers that do not contain aspirin, along with rest and fluid intake, can help alleviate symptoms. Most people recover from the disease within a few weeks.Yellow fever can be prevented through vaccination. This vaccine contains a live, weakened form of the virus and is recommended for those traveling to or residing in areas of Africa and the Americas where the disease is present. Because it is live, the vaccine is not advised for infants or those with weakened immune systems.The development of the yellow fever vaccine is rooted in significant medical research, including work led by Dr. Walter Reed. When yellow fever afflicted U.S. troops in Cuba in 1900, Dr. Reed, part of the Army Medical Corps, led a team investigating the disease. They identified the Aedes aegypti mosquito as the vector, which also carries dengue, and demonstrated that the mosquito transmits the virus that causes yellow fever. Sanitation efforts successfully eliminated the mosquito in Cuba by 1902, eradicating the disease there.The vaccine also owes its existence to Max Theiler's contributions. Dr. Theiler, originally from South Africa, worked at the Rockefeller Foundation in New York. In 1929, he contracted yellow fever himself, recovered, and gained immunity. The following year, Theiler discovered that white mice could be used to study yellow fever, facilitating vaccine production. For his groundbreaking work, Max Theiler was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for his discoveries related to yellow fever and its prevention.
