Yellow fever is a virus that is spread by mosquitoes. The virus is present in Africa and South America. People and nonhuman primates, like monkeys, can get sick from it. Yellow fever gets its name from the fact that it causes severe liver disease, which can make the skin, eyes, and gums yellow.
Animals can't spread yellow fever directly to people. Although people can't spread this infection directly to others either, an infected person or primate can spread it to another mosquito when bitten.
Symptoms of Yellow Fever in Animals
Primates are the only animals that seem to get sick from yellow fever, and some types of primates get much sicker than others. African monkeys don't usually get sick and rarely die from yellow fever. South American monkeys are at greater risk of sickness and death. Howler monkeys are the most likely to get yellow fever and often are found dead. Capuchin and titi monkeys sometimes get sick but not as severely as howler monkeys.
Symptoms in animals are similar to those in people. These include headache, fever, muscle pain, and nausea/vomiting. Symptoms might improve and then return more severely, with yellowing of the skin and eyes (from liver damage), along with vomiting, bleeding, and liver and kidney failure.
Antibodies against yellow fever have been found in rodents, cattle and sheep, sloths, and other animals, suggesting that they have been infected by this virus, but these animals don't get sick and don't spread the disease. Antibodies are part of an animal's immune response to disease.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Yellow Fever in Animals
Diagnosis of yellow fever can be made by identifying the virus in blood or organs of infected animals by culture, genetic testing for the virus, or antibody testing. Tracking and testing of wild primate deaths is often used to help predict outbreaks in South America.
There is no specific treatment for yellow fever in animals.
Prevention of Yellow Fever in Animals
Vaccination can prevent yellow fever in people and is also effective in nonhuman primates.
The best prevention is mosquito control, along with protective clothing, mosquito netting, and insect repellents.
Tracking of outbreaks and deaths in howler monkeys and other primates is used as a marker for early detection of an epidemic in South America.
Important Human Health Points Regarding Yellow Fever
Yellow fever is caused by a virus spread by mosquito bites.
Animals can't spread this disease directly to people.
Mosquito control is the most important step in disease prevention.
There is no specific treatment for yellow fever.
