A viral infection, yellow fever is transmitted to a human by the bite of an infected mosquito. Yellow fever is common throughout parts of Africa and South America. There is no drug to cure yellow fever. Instead, medications are given to help possibly lower viral load, reduce fever and ease body aches.
Yellow fever is considered a haemorrhagic fever which can cause liver failure and death without medical care.
Currently, there are no approved medications for yellow fever. Treatment of yellow fever focuses on controlling symptoms.
You’ll need to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and rest. Also, you’ll need medications to lower your fever and relieve pain.
When suffering from yellow fever, you should not take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as naproxen or ibuprofen. You should also avoid aspirin (salicylates) which can lead to bleeding.
Other drugs to avoid when sick with yellow fever include phenothiazines, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates because they may worsen encephalopathy (altered brain function) in yellow fever sufferers. Any drugs that promote hepatic metabolism should also be avoided. Inform your doctor of any medications you are currently taking.
Drugs used to treat yellow fever include:
Most people will receive a combination of medications to treat the symptoms of yellow fever. Doctors may order antivirals to prevent the virus from replicating, but this remains controversial because many medical professionals do not believe that antivirals are effective against the yellow fever virus.
Management of fever, pain, dehydration and blood clots involves combining nonhelpatoxic antipyretics such as acetaminophen, heparin, and IV saline which are all common medications used to treat yellow fever.
If the patient suffers from renal failure then dialysis might become necessary.
Yellow fever medications are essential to control fever, restore hydration, reduce pain, control clotting, and possibly lower viral loads. Each of the medications can cause certain side effects. However, most side effects are minor and easily managed.
Medication side effects may include stomach pain, back pain, headaches, joint pain, joint swelling, bleeding, vomiting, loss of appetite, and blood in the urine.
For most people, the benefits of medications to treat yellow fever are a necessity. The benefits of the drugs far outweigh the side effects. If you suffer from issues after taking the medication, discuss the side effects with your doctor to find possible solutions.
If you plan on travelling to or living in an area where yellow fever is a problem, then you should consider talking to your doctor about receiving the vaccine to prevent yellow fever. A single vaccination will provide lifetime protection against yellow fever. The vaccine can be administered to those nine months old and older.
Treatment for yellow fever focuses on relieving the symptoms of the virus. The use of antiviral medications to treat yellow fever still remains somewhat experimental because studies vary on the effectiveness of antivirals. Your doctor will work closely with you to determine which medications are best to treat the virus and relieve your symptoms.