Dr Osas Ikponwonsa, Chief Medical Director of Calvary Estate Hospital, Benin, says yellow fever infection can lead to other complications if not treated.
Ikponwonsa said this in an interview on Friday in Benin.
Yellow fever is a viral infection spread by a particular species of mosquito; Aedes aegypti.
The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the primary species responsible for transmitting viruses such as Zika, dengue and chikungunya between people.
Ikponwonsa said yellow fever is caused by a flavivirus, which is spread by mosquitoes in Africa and South America, particularly in areas with dense forests or jungles.
Wikipedia describes Flavivirus as a genus of viruses in the family Flaviviridae. This genus includes the West Nile virus, dengue virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, yellow fever virus.
The medical doctor said, “yellow fever can become serious, resulting in high fever, jaundice, and other concerns.
“Yellow fever can become more serious, causing heart, liver and kidney problems along with bleeding (hemorrhaging).
“Up to 50 per cent of people with the more-severe form of yellow fever die of the disease,” he said.
The physician said the symptoms include: fever, headache, muscle ache, particularly in the back and knees.
Others are sensitivity to light, nausea, vomiting or both, loss of appetite, dizziness, red eyes, face or tongue.
He said yellow fever is caused by a virus that is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
Ikponwonsa said these mosquitoes thrive in and near human habitations, where they breed in even the cleanest water.
He, therefore, warned people against unhealthy living, using things without washing and also to watch out for the symptoms. (NAN)
