It may be due to physiological stresses; such as, ovulation, excess thyroid hormone secretions, or vigorous exercise; to central nervous system lesions, or infection by microorganisms; or to any of a host of noninfectious processes; such as, inflammation or the release of certain materials, as in leukemia.
Etymology: from late Old English fefor, from Latin febris, "fever", related to fovere, "to warm, to heat".
Falciparum malaria is characterized by paroxysms of fever occurring at irregular intervals and often by the localization of the organism in a specific organ, causing capillary blockage in the brain, lungs, intestinal mucosa, spleen, and kidneys.
2. A severe and often fatal illness produced by exposure to excessively high temperatures; especially, when it is related to significant physical exertion.
It is usually experienced with elevated body temperature, lack of sweating, hot dry skin, and neurologic symptoms; including unconsciousness, paralysis, headache, vertigo, and/or confusion. In severe cases, very high fever, vascular collapse, and coma also develop.
Illness ranges in severity from a self-limited febrile illness to severe hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever.
Yellow fever disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings, laboratory testing, and the possibility of exposure to infected mosquitoes. There is no specific treatment for yellow fever; care is based on which symptoms caused it.
Steps to prevent yellow fever include use of insect repellent, protective clothing, and vaccination. Yellow fever occurs primarily in tropical regions of Africa and in parts of South America; however, it is a very rare cause of illness in U.S. travelers. The last epidemic of yellow fever in North America occurred in New Orleans in 1905.