Yellow fever is an infectious, non-contagious disease that first appeared in Africa and was then brought to America. This disease has affected many humans and animals in Africa and America for the last 400 years. Mosquitoes seem to be the carriers of this disease.Yellow fever got its name from the yellowish color that the skin and white of the eyes turn. A person who has been infected with this disease will go through many stages before the disease becomes fatal.The first stage will occur three to six days after infection.The victim will acquire a high fever, headache and dizziness. During the next stage, the skin turns yellow and the victim's gums and stomach lining start to bleed. If a person has survived this long, the next stage is usually death.
An epidemic of yellow fever broke out in Baltimore in 1794; this epidemic was caused by mosquitoes. Ten deaths were recorded from this outbreak of yellow fever. Some of the people who suffered from this epidemic were Samuel Griscom, Philip Kellinger, and Daniel Leech.
Every year there are approximately 300,000 cases of yellow fever and about 20,000 people die from it.
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Yellow Fever: Description
