Yellow Fever is a mosquito-borne virus. The virus is found only in sub-Saharan Africa and in tropical South America, particularly in the rain forest regions. The virus, and subsequent disease, is epidemic in these areas. Young men who work in the forests and mosquito-laden areas are most at risk for contracting the virus.

Dengue shares the same genus of the virus that causes yellow fever: flavivirus. Dengue also is found in the tropics and is carried by mosquitoes. The two diseases are closely linked because of the shared virus genus.

Yellow Fever

For those traveling to South America or Africa, there is a risk of becoming infected with the yellow fever virus. The risk factors are dependent on the geographic location of the visit, the season of the year, the activities pursued on the trip, and the current epidemic rate of the virus at the time. Yellow fever does have a vaccination, and anyone visiting an area where the yellow fever virus is prevalent is recommended to have the vaccine beforehand. When traveling to areas where this virus can be contracted, it is often recommended that visitors stay in hotels with air-conditioning and take precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Symptoms of yellow fever range from a flu-like syndrome to severe hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever.

Dengue

Dengue is spreading and becoming more of a danger to the global population. It has moved beyond Africa to the Middle East, Asia, and western Pacific. It is believed that close to a third of the world’s population is now at risk for contracting the Dengue virus.

Dengue fever is a flu-like illness that, fortunately, rarely results in death. However, the reaction to Dengue is largely dependent on the age of the person infected. Infants and young children often develop a rash. Older children and adults usually have severe headaches and joint pain, and abrupt on-set of high fever. If Dengue fever becomes Dengue hemorrhagic fever, the disease becomes more severe and can sometimes cause an enlargement of the liver.

There is no treatment for Dengue fever. It requires careful management by physicians to keep the disease from worsening. No vaccine has been developed primarily because Dengue can be caused by four different viruses and protection against only one or two can actually increase the risks of another strain of the virus if contracted.