Yellow fever, also known as "yellow jack," is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. It was during the first human case known to man that the virus first obtained the name Flavivirus. The yellow fever virus is found in tropical and subtropical areas of South America and Africa; occasionally it has been diagnosed in the U.S. With that being said, this research paper will go through the history, nature of, signs, symptoms and treatments of the possible epidemic disease. .
History Of Yellow Fever.
This disease has played a major role in the history of Africa, the Americas, Europe and the Caribbean (1). "Many scientists and professors believe that the disease can be traced back to over three thousand years ago." During the 1600's, the disease was carried into the western side of the world by slave ships coming from Africa. The first outbreak in South America, and the first chain of outbreaks in the United States also occurred during this same century. First showing up in Europe in the 1700's, it was in 1730 in Cadiz, Spain that the first epidemic for that region was reported. As the disease grew with time, it was not until 1900 that the yellow fever virus was transmitted to humans by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The Reed Yellow Fever Commission scientifically proved this fact. In 1930, the first two vaccines were developed for the virus; the 17D and the French neurotropic. Today the 17D is the global vaccine for the disease. All over the globe, outbreaks still occur, with the majority of them being all throughout Africa.
Nature of Yellow Fever.
The immunology of yellow fever today is still under study, but can be best described as active or passive (2). "Active immunity to the virus may result from natural infection, from experimental infection, or from vaccination. Passive immunity may be the result of transfer of immunity from an immune mother to her offspring, or it may result from the inoculation of an otherwise susceptible individual with protective antibody derived from an immune individual.
