How Does the Yellow Fever Virus Reproduce?
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The Mosquito Becomes Infected
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A mosquito becomes infected with yellow fever virus, part of the Flaviviridae group, by biting either an infected human or an infected non-human primate. The types of mosquito that become infected with the disease include Aedes simpsaloni, A. africanus, and A. aegypti in Africa and Haemagogus in South America. While yellow fever has been found around the world, it is currently only common in parts of Africa and South America.
The Mosquito Harbors the Virus
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The mosquito serves as a reservoir for the virus until the mosquito bites another person or primate. Mosquitoes can harbor the virus for long periods of time, and even pass it on to their young. The mosquito and its eggs are very sturdy and can survive through the seasonal changes.
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The Mosquito Passes the Virus to a Human
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The mosquito bites a person or primate and passes the virus on to them. The virus enters the body through the skin and travels through the blood stream. The virus immediately begins reproducing at the site of the bite, building up enough virus to take hold of the body.
The Virus Reproduces
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The virus spread throughout the body affecting most of the organ systems including the heart, kidneys, adrenal glands and liver. The blood is also affected, and a person infected will have high levels of yellow fever virus in their blood stream.
The Virus Attacks the Body
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The yellow fever virus goes on replicating for three to five days before symptoms appear. Symptoms typically include fever, chills, bleeding into the skin, rapid heartbeat, headache, back pain, nausea, vomiting and constipation. On day three, the person usually becomes jaundice and turns a shade of yellow. Yellow fever is a deadly disease that kills about 85% of the people infected.
The Cycle Continues
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A mosquito that bites a person or primate who is infected with the yellow fever virus, becomes infected and can then transmit the virus to more hosts. This continual cycle does not normally result in large outbreaks. Often, yellow fever is contained to jungles and primates. In small towns and villages outbreaks rarely occur. In larger cities, outbreaks can become severe, affecting close to the entire population.
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- Photo Credit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
