yellow fever

U.S. History

(noun)

An acute viral infection which inflicted the American Army in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. The U.S. Army in experienced 13 times more yellow fever casualties than combat casualties during the Cuba campaign.

Related Terms

Microbiology

(noun)

An acute febrile illness of tropical regions, caused by a flavivirus and spread by mosquitoes, characterized by jaundice, black vomit, and the absence of urination.

Related Terms

Examples of yellow fever in the following topics:

  • Inoculation of Live Animals

    • In 1900, Reed and his colleagues used human volunteers for their work on yellow fever.

  • Classic Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers

    • All types of VHF are characterized by fever and bleeding disorders and all can progress to high fever, shock and death in many cases.
    • The family Arenaviridae include the viruses responsible for Lassa fever, Lujo virus, Argentine, Bolivian, Brazilian and Venezuelan hemorrhagic fevers.
    • The family Flaviviridae include dengue, yellow fever , and two viruses in the tick-borne encephalitis group that cause VHF: Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus and Kyasanur Forest disease virus.
    • Signs and symptoms of VHFs include fever and bleeding diathesis.
    • The only licensed vaccine available is for yellow fever.

  • Vaccine Safety

    • Vaccines carry risks, ranging from rashes or tenderness at the site of injection to fever-associated seizures.
    • Vaccines carry risks, ranging from rashes or tenderness at the site of injection to fever-associated seizures called febrile convulsions and dangerous infections in those with compromised immune systems.
    • These include current smallpox vaccines that cannot safely be given to immunocompromised people; the tuberculosis vaccine, which is not recommended for HIV-positive infants; and the yellow-fever vaccine, which puts elderly people at particular risk of a yellow-fever-like illness.

  • Arthropods as Vectors

    • Additional examples of mosquitoes include the Aedes mosquito which is a vector for avian malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever.

  • The Spanish-American War

    • By 1897–98, American public opinion was largely influenced by the "yellow journalism" of the United States; outrage at reports of Spanish atrocities in Cuba grew exponentially.
    • American naval power proved decisive, allowing U.S. expeditionary forces to disembark in Cuba against a Spanish garrison, already reeling from nationwide insurgent attacks and decimated by yellow fever.

  • Leptospirosis

    • Leptospirosis (also known as Weil's Syndrome, canicola fever, canefield fever, nanukayami fever, 7-day fever, Rat Catcher's Yellows, Fort Bragg fever, black jaundice, and Pretibial fever) is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira, and affects humans as well as other animals.
    • Symptoms can range from none to mild such as headaches, muscle pains, and fevers; to severe with bleeding from the lungs or meningitis.
    • If the infection causes the person to turn yellow, have kidney failure and bleeding it is then known as Weil's disease.

  • Safety in the Microbiology Laboratory

    • Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV.
    • Bacteria and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatments exist, such as anthrax, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, SARS virus, tuberculosis, typhus, Rift Valley fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, yellow fever, and malaria.
    • Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever virus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic diseases.

  • History of Bacterial Diseases

    • The scientists identified nucleotide sequences from a pathogenic bacterium, Salmonella enterica serovar typhi , which causes typhoid fever.
    • Among these are two viral diseases (dengue fever and yellow fever) and three bacterial diseases (diphtheria, cholera, and bubonic plague).
    • Symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, fever, seizure, vomiting of blood, and (c) gangrene.
    • Salmonella enterica serovar typhi, the causative agent of typhoid fever, is a gram-negative, rod-shaped gamma protobacterium.
    • Typhoid fever, which is spread through feces, causes intestinal hemorrhage, high fever, delirium and dehydration.

  • Fever

    • A fever can be caused by many conditions ranging from benign to potentially serious.
    • Fevers are helpful in fighting infections, but can also cause damage in the body.
    • Treatments for severe fevers include antipyrogens and aspirin, which also helps to stop blood clots that may coincide with severe fever.
    • High fevers (more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit) are a symptom of severe infections.
    • Performance of the various types of fever: a) Fever continues b) Fever continues to abrupt onset and remission c) Fever remittent d) Intermittent fever e) Undulant fever f) Relapsing fever

  • Scarlet Fever

    • Scarlet fever is caused by a bacteriophage that infects Streptococcus pyogenes.
    • Scarlet fever is an infectious disease which most commonly affects 4-8 year-old children.
    • Symptoms include sore throat, fever, and a characteristic red rash .
    • Scarlet fever is caused by secretion of pyrogenic (fever inducing) exotoxins by the infected Streptococcus.
    • The rosy cheeks and white area around the mouth are typical symptoms of scarlet fever.