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General Reference

Jama 1996;276:1157

Pathophys and Cause

Cause: Yellow fever virus, an arbovirus

Pathophys:Viremia and hepatitis

Epidemiology

Vector is the mosquito, Aedes aegyptiin urban type, A. hemogogusin jungle type. Man is only reservoir in urban type, monkeys in jungle type. Increasing problem is Africa and S. America; could reappear in US

Signs and Symptoms

Sx:Malaise and jaundice

Si:

Icterus; tender liver; fever >105°F (40.5°C); minimal tachycardia

r/o salmonella, gram-negative shock, psittacosis, and Q fever

Course

3- to 6-d incubation; 10-15% mortality, 50% mortality if reach toxic icteric phase

Complications

Hepatic or renal failure, myocarditis

r/o malaria; leptospirosis; viral hepatitis; typhus; ebola virus

r/o DENGUE (Nejm 2005;353:924; Jama 1997;277:1546), mosquito-transmitted febrile illness often with exanthematous rash, low wbc and platelet counts; usually benign course, possibly helped by vaccination vs Japanese encephalitis (Nejm 1988;319:808)

Lab and Xray

Lab:

Chem:Elevated LFTs

Path:Liver bx shows viral hepatitis picture but more irregular necrosis and Councilman bodies which are questionably distinguishable from Mallory's bodies

Serol:IgM antibodies

Treatment

Rx:

Prevent by spraying to kill mosquitos if >5-10% homes have Aedes.

Vaccine, live virus; effective in 1 wk; use in endemic areas, eg, South America and Africa; 0.5 cc sc; lasts 10+ yr; egg base (Ann IM 1969;71:365); available at special distribution centers in US; reports of hepatitis, encephalitis, anaphylaxis, multisystem organ failure and death after live virus vaccination in 3/100,000 (Lancet 2001;358:91, 98, 121); killed virus vaccine risks lower and immunity greater (Nejm 2011;364:1326)