Mosquitoes may appear tiny, but have the big potential to make you fall sick with serious diseases. One such disease that is spread by mosquitoes is Yellow Fever. With the color yellow being associated with jaundice, many believe that this fever is nothing but jaundice or peeliya. But that is not true at all. Yellow fever is different from jaundice.
What you may be knowing is that yellow fever is spread by a mosquito bite. But there is a lot that you still need to know about this mosquito-borne disease. So, read on to learn all about Yellow Fever – its symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention.
- What is Yellow Fever?
- Yellow Fever Symptoms
- Causes of Yellow Fever
- Yellow Fever Treatment
- Yellow Fever Prevention
- Yellow Fever Recovery
- Diet for Yellow Fever Patients
- Don’ts for Yellow Fever Patients
- When to See a Doctor?
- Yellow Fever Vaccination
What is Yellow Fever?
Coming straight to what is yellow fever? It is a rare viral disease caused by an arbovirus belonging to the flavivirus genus. Yellow fever is also known as the yellow plague, bronze john, and yellow jack.
It is a vector disease like dengue, malaria, and chikungunya that is spread by Haemagogus species or Aedes mosquito. Fortunately, although these mosquitoes are found in abundance in India, there are no such cases of yellow fever reported in the country.
Also Read: How To Get Rid Of Mosquitoes Inside The House?
Yellow Fever Symptoms
How to detect the yellow virus? Early detection is vital to the proper treatment of yellow fever. For this one must check the following symptoms:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Irregular heartbeats
- Fever
- Bleeding
- Red face, tongue, and eyes
- Delirium
- Yellow Skin or eyes
- Fall in urination
- Seizures
Causes of Yellow Fever
Now that you know the symptoms of yellow fever, it is time to learn how is yellow fever caused. Yellow fever is caused by the biting of a mosquito that is infected with the yellow fever virus.
More than younger people, older people are more prone to get infected by yellow fever. The disease is mostly found in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America.
Yellow Fever Treatment
Although there is a yellow fever vaccine, as of now there is no proper treatment for yellow fever. If a patient suffers complicated symptoms of yellow fever like kidney or liver problems, then he or she might need to undergo dialysis or blood product treatments to control severe bleeding.
Yellow Fever Prevention
To prevent yellow fever, try to follow these preventive measures:
- Wear full-length clothes
- Use mosquito nets
- Use effective mosquito repellents
- Get a mosquito pest control service
- Do not let water standby
Also Read: Top Mosquito Borne Diseases
Yellow Fever Recovery
Another important concern regarding this disease is how long does a patient take to recover from yellow fever? A person who catches this viral infection may experience the symptoms for 3 to 5 days. Slowly the symptoms will subside and one will recover after 5 days of yellow fever infection.
Diet for Yellow Fever Patients
To get over the disease at the earliest, it is important to pay attention to the diet of a yellow fever patient. Some essential diet tips to follow in yellow fever are:
- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
- Eat lots of fresh fruits like mango, and papaya, which are loaded with digestive enzymes
- Eat fresh and green vegetables
- Consider high-fiber food options like oats, whole grains, and nuts
- Take plenty of rest to give time for your body to heal
Don’ts for Yellow Fever Patients
We have been talking about what to do if you suffer from yellow fever. But it is equally important to understand what not to do in this fever. So, here is a list of don’ts for yellow fever patients:
- Do not self-treat
- Do not avoid follow-up with the doctor after a check-up
- Do not eat junk food
- Do not eat heavy meals
- Avoid eating spicy food
- Avoid eating stale food
- Do not exert yourself mentally or physically
When to See a Doctor?
As mentioned earlier, there are no such cases of yellow fever in our country, but in case you intend to visit a country where these cases are common, what to do? In that case, try to see a doctor to learn about the yellow fever vaccine.
If you have already contracted this disease somehow, and are experiencing the above-mentioned symptoms like nausea, fever, yellowish skin, etc, do not delay consulting an experienced doctor.
Yellow Fever Vaccination
The invention of the yellow fever vaccine is not a new one. It was invented over 80 years ago. One single dose of the vaccine is capable of providing you with a life-long protection against yellow fever in a majority of people. WHO or World Health Organization recommends the yellow fever vaccine for anyone aged more than 9 months traveling to areas prone to yellow fever like South America and Africa.
According to the CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the two common yellow fever vaccines available are Yf-Vax and Stamaril. Some countries make it mandatory to get the yellow fever shot before permitting entry. A weakened form of the yellow fever virus is injected in a single shot of this vaccine to strengthen the immunity of a person to fight this infection for the whole life.
Conclusion
Your approach matters most if you ever contract a disease like yellow fever. Stay positive, follow the preventive measures, and consult a good doctor, if you experience any signs of yellow fever.
Above all, try to put a tab on the mosquito population in and around your house to not just prevent yellow fever, but other mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, and chikungunya. Install devices like the AutoMos mosquito repellent dispenser to get complete protection against mosquitoes. You may also choose to book mosquito control services from the pioneers in pest control like HiCare.