Q:
What is yellow fever prevention?
A:
Yellow fever is a viral disease caused by yellow fever virus spread by a certain type of mosquito. It lasts not long for symptoms typically develop within five days. The best way for yellow fever prevention is a yellow fever vaccine.
Symptoms
The course of yellow fever can be concluded as three phases: incubation, acute phase and toxic phase. In the incubation stage, about three to six days after you have been infected, you may not experience any signs or symptoms. Then, the disease enters the acute phases. Typical symptoms of this stage include:
- Headache
- Muscle pains particularly in the back and knees
- Fever
- Nausea or/and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Dizziness
- Sensitivity to light
In some cases, the toxic phase can occur and can be life-threatening. Be careful of these signs and symptoms in this stage:
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting, sometimes of blood
- Bleeding from nose, mouth and eyes
- Slow heart rate
- Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes
- Liver and kidney failure
Treatment
Before you travel to an area where yellow fever virus is known to exist, please make an appointment with the doctor to make sure if you need a vaccine. Four weeks or more before the trip is the best time to get vaccinated.
If you develop any signs and symptoms of yellow fever after you come back from the trip, call your doctor or seek emergency medical care if you are in the toxic phase.
Prevention
Except for a yellow fever vaccine, protecting yourself against mosquitoes is another option. You can avoid unnecessary outdoor activities and stay in air-conditioned housing to decrease exposure to mosquitoes. Repellents can be used to ward off mosquitoes.
If you want to know more about the disease, please go to the doctor.
Keywords: yellow fever; prevention; mosquito; vaccine
