Yellow Fever Endemic to Tropical Regions of Africa and South America name University professor date

Yellow Fever
Yellow fever is a viral infection which is potentially fatal. Statistics kept by WHO, the World Health Organization, estimates that out of 200,000 cases of yellow fever each year, there are 30,000 deaths as a result of the infectious process (“Yellow Fever Fact,” 2010). Yellow Fever is endemic to tropical regions. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that yellow fever is endemic to 30 sub-Saharan African countries and 13 Central and South American countries. In the 1900’s research discovered that yellow fever is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and the development of a vaccine followed shortly after (Hill, 2009). Despite the development of a vaccine, today yellow fever is a serious health risk to the inhabitants of tropical South America, Africa, and to any travelers visiting these areas.
This paper will discuss the infectious process of yellow fever, how yellow fever is diagnosed, and its’ signs and symptoms. Next, the pathophysiological changes caused by yellow fever will be explained. Lastly, available treatments and education to prevent yellow fever will be explored.
Disease and Infectious Process The vector of the yellow fever virus is the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Meanwhile, humans and monkeys are the principle reservoirs for the virus. The process of infection starts with a female mosquito that feeds on an infected carrier of the yellow fever virus. The mosquito then enters an incubation phase of twelve to twenty one days; resulting in a buildup of the virus within the salivary glands of the mosquito. Now, whenever the mosquito bites, the virus is spread into a new host. Furthermore, when the infected female mosquito dies; the virus remains dormant within her ova until the new season, making it very difficult to eradicate