Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease. The disease occurs in tropical and subtropical areas. A certain type of mosquito, Aedes aegypti, typically spreads yellow fever. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, and vomiting. As the disease progresses the pulse slows and weakens and bleeding of the gums and bloody urine occur. The one infected also develops the classic symptoms of yellow fever, including jaundice, which is yellowed skin and eyes and black, coffee-ground vomit. Both symptoms produced are due to the destruction of the liver. There is no specific treatment for yellow fever but travelers should be immunized prior to visiting areas where yellow fever exists. Once people have had yellow fever they develop a life long immunity.

Many great medical discoveries originated in pain, suffering, and the disease of war and this also holds true for yellow fever. In the brief Spanish American War of 1898 compared to the 968 soldiers who died in combat over 5000 died for yellow fever disease. In 1900, the United States Yellow Fever Commission added to the list of great breakthroughs in military medicine. Stationed outside of Havana, Cuba Major Walter Reed and his assistants James Carroll, Aristide Agramonte and Jesse Lazear proved that Aedes aegypti mosquito was the cause for the yellow fever virus. Their work destroyed the popular belief that yellow fever spread by direct contact with infected or contaminated objects. Carroll was also able to explain why no one had been able to positively identify the yellow fever before. Because the germ was filterable or ultra-microscopic which makes it a virus. This led to the 17D vaccine in 1937.

Allyson Daugherty

Microbial World

3-31-99