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Yellow Fever


Cause: Yellow fever virus.

Illness and treatment: Early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and vomiting. Later signs include jaundice, gum bleeding, and bloody vomit in addition to liver and kidney failure. Twenty to 50% of jaundiced cases are fatal. Treatment is supportive.

Sources: Yellow fever occurs in tropical areas of Africa and South America. There are 2 transmission cycles, a jungle cycle involving non-human primates and an urban cycle involving humans. Transmission is by the bite of an infected mosquito.

Prevention: When in endemic countries, avoid mosquito bites by wearing appropriate clothing, using insect repellents, using bed nets, and making sure windows and doors are "bug tight." Consult with a travel clinic or the CDC Travelers’ Health website for recommendations about vaccination.

Recent Washington trends: No cases, with the exception of a vaccine-associated infection in 2002, have been reported in over 50 years of surveillance.

2010 : No cases were reported.

Purpose of Reporting and Surveillance

  • To identify cases of yellow fever associated with travel
  • To prevent further spread of the disease within the United States

Legal Reporting Requirements

  • Health care providers: immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction
  • Health care facilities: immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction
  • Laboratories: isolation of yellow fever virus, or detection of viral antigen, antibody or nucleic acid immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction of the patient’s residence; specimen submission is required – serum (2 business days)
  • Local health jurisdictions: suspected and confirmed cases are immediately notifiable to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Communicable Disease Epidemiology (CDE) (1-877-539-4344)

Last update
December 2011

Yellow Fever Resources

General Information
Case Definition
(PDF Format)
Yellow Fever Incidence Rates
(Under "Arboviral Disease Types")
(PDF Format)
Reporting Forms
Yellow Fever Reporting Form
(PDF Format)
Public Health and Health Care
Surveillance and Reporting Guidelines
(PDF Format)

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Washington State Department of Health
Communicable Disease Epidemiology
MS: K17-9, 1610 NE 150th Street
Shoreline, WA 98155

Consultation and technical assistance are available to local health jurisdictions in Washington State:
Phone (206) 418-5500

FAX (206) 418-5515

24-hour contact (inside Washington State only)  1-877-539-4344

Washington residents can contact their local health jurisdictions for assistance


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