yellow fever

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. an acute, often fatal, infectious febrile disease of warm climates, caused by an RNA virus transmitted by a mosquito, especially Aedes aegypti, and characterized by liver damage and jaundice.

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yellow fever British  

noun

1. Also called: yellow jack.   black vomit.  an acute infectious disease of tropical and subtropical climates, characterized by fever, haemorrhages, vomiting of blood, and jaundice: caused by a virus transmitted by the bite of a female mosquito of the species Aedes aegypti

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yellow fever Scientific  

/ yĕl′ō /

1. A life-threatening infectious disease caused by a virus of the genus Flavivirus and characterized by fever, jaundice, and internal bleeding. Yellow fever occurs mainly in tropical regions of Africa and Latin America and is transmitted by mosquitoes.

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Etymology

Origin of yellow fever

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

Yellow fever continues to pose a significant public health threat in areas of South America and Africa.

From Science Daily • Nov. 27, 2025

Yellow fever is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2025

Yellow fever is caused by a virus transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes.

From Seattle Times • May 27, 2024

Yellow fever was often called “the stranger’s disease.”

From Slate • Aug. 4, 2020

Yellow fever had invaded his body for a second time.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy