• Question: what causes yellow fever and how can you prevent it

    Asked by opolotjwh to Helen on 19 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Helen Fletcher

      Helen Fletcher answered on 19 Jun 2011:

      Yellow fever is caused by the Yellow Fever Virus. There is a vaccine for yellow fever (YF-17D) and it is one of the most effective vaccines
      ever made. The vaccine is made from a mutated Yellow Fever Virus. In the last 65 years, it has been administered to over 600
      million people globally.

Comments

  • Photo: Helen

    Helen commented on :

    Ok, the people I work with love this question. Here’s another answer:
    Yellow fever is caused by a virus that is passed on to humans when they are bitten by a mosquito that is infected with the virus. This only happens in yellow-fever areas in South America and Africa (you can’t get yellow fever from mosquitoes in the UK). The best way to avoid catching yellow fever is to have a vaccination before travelling to yellow-fever areas. Mosquitoes carry many illnesses (including malaria and dengue fever) so when travelling in the tropics it is always a good idea to wear long trousers and shirts in the evenings (when mosquitoes are most likely to bite you), to use mosquito nets over your bed, and to wear insect-repellent to keep the mosquitoes away.