By: Caroline Longardner
The COVID-19 VIRUS Pandemic is still on the rise in many places in this country and the world. The population is asked to WEAR FACE MASKS in public and use sanitary procedures whenever and wherever possible. As of June 18, 2020 in the United States, there were 2,155,572 total cases of this disease. There are 117,632 reported deaths. This info comes from the Center of Disease Control.gov.
YELLOW FEVER is a viral disease of typically short duration. This disease is caused by yellow fever virus and is spread by the bite of an infected female mosquito. It infects only humans, other primates, and several types of mosquitoes. To confirm a suspected case, blood-sample testing with polymerise chain reaction is required.
A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE VACCINE AGAINST YELLOW FEVER EXISTS, and some countries require the vaccinations for travelers. Immunizations are important to prevent outbreaks. Death occurs in up to half of those who get severe disease.
In 2013 YELLOW FEVER RESULTED IN ABOUT 127,000 SEVERE INFECTIONS AND 45,000 DEATHS. Nearly a billion people live in an area of the world where the disease is common in tropical areas of South America and Africa, but not in Asia. Since the 1980’s, the number of cases of YELLOW FEVER HAS BEEN INCREASING, DUE TO THE CHANGING CLIMATE AND PEOPLE MOVING MORE FREQUENTLY.
Yellow Fever originated in Africa and spread to South America with the slave trade in the 17th century. Since then, several major outbreaks have occurred in the Americas, Africa, and Europe. IN THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES, YELLOW FEVER WAS SEEN AS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS INFECTOUS DISEASES. IN 1927 YELLOW FEVER VIRUS BECAME THE FIRST HUMAN VIRUS TO BE ISOLATED.
“Yellow Fever” begins after an incubation period of 3 to 6 days. Usually it starts with a fever, headache, chills, back pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle pain, nausea, and vomiting. This lasts only 3-4 days.
About 15% of some cases enter a second toxic phase with fever and liver damage and abdominal pain, THE NEXT SYMPTOM “BLACK VOMIT” OR “vomio negro” which is bleeding in the mouth, nose, the eyes and the gastrointestinal tract cause vomit containing blood, hence the Spanish name for “YELLOW FEVER”. Severe cases have a mortality rate greater than 50%. Surviving the infection provides lifelong immunity and normally no permanent organ damage results. Personal prevention of YELLOW FEVER includes vaccination and avoidance of mosquito bites in areas where yellow fever endemic. Use of EPA-registered insect repellent is recommended when outdoors. Wear proper clothing to reduce mosquito bites. The peak biting times for many mosquito species are dusk to dawn. Vaccinations are recommended for those traveling to affected areas because non-native people tend to develop more severe illness when infected.
The early history of YELLOW FEVER probably was in Africa as the transmission of the disease went from nonhuman primates to humans. The virus was then thought to have been transferred to North and South American through the importation of slaves and the colonization of these countries.
THE FIRST REAL OUTBREAK OF YELLOW FEVER IN THE NEW WORLD WAS IN 1647 ON THE ISLAND OF BARBADOS. An outbreak was recorded by Spanish colonists in 1648 in the Yucatan Peninsula, where the indigenous Mayan people called THE ILLNESS “xekik” (“BLOOD VOMIT”). In 1685, Brazil suffered its first epidemic in Recife, Brazil. The first mention of the disease by THE NAME “YELLOW FEVER” OCCURRED in 1744.
Although YELLOW FEVER IS MOST PREVELENT IN TROPICAL-LIFE CLIMATES, THE NORTHERN U.S. WERE NOT EXEMPTED FROM THE FEVER. The first out-break in English-speaking N. America was in New York City in 1668. English colonists in Philadelphia and the French in the Mississippi River Valley recorded major outbreaks in 1669 as well as other fever outbreaks in surrounding major cities in the 18th and 19°’ centuries.
The disease traveled along THE STEAMBOAT ROUTES FROM NEW ORLEANS, CAUSING SOME 100,000-150,000 DEATHS IN TOTAL. The Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793 in Philadelphia, which was then the capital of the US resulted in the deaths of more than 9% of the population. THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT FLED THE CITY, INCLUDING PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON!
The city of New Orleans was plagued in 1833 and 1853 with “Yellow Jack”. Urban Epidemics continued in the US until 1905, with the last outbreak affecting New Orleans.
In 1878 about 20,000 people died in a widespread epidemic in the Mississippi River Valley. That year there was a lot of rain and an increase in the mosquito population. The result was a huge epidemic of Yellow Fever. The steamship JOHN D. PORTER TOOK PEOPLE FLEEING MEMPHIS NORTHWWARD IN HOPE OF ESPCAPING THE DISEASE, BUT PASSENGERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO DISEMBARK DUE TO CONCERN OF SPREADING YELLOW FEVER. THE SHIP ROAMED THE MISSISSIPPI FOR THE NEXT 2 MONTHS BEFORE UNLOADING HER PASSENGERS.
EZEKIEL STONE WIGGINS, KNOWN AS THE OTTAWA PROPHET, PROPOSED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPDEMIC OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, IN 1888, WAS ASTROLOGICAL.
(Yellow Fever has been researched by several countries as a potential biological weapon).
Ref. Wikipedia
