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

See Examples For:

yellow fever

As it happened, Fordlandia was beset by smallpox and yellow fever, rubber-destroying fungi, and labor unrest that required military intervention.

From Barron's ● Jan. 18, 2026

Professor Daniel Watterson noted that the new findings offer important insights into the biology of yellow fever and could guide the development of improved vaccines and antiviral tools for this virus and other orthoflaviviruses.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 27, 2025

Researchers believe that vaccinations stopped much bigger outbreaks of illnesses like Ebola, cholera and yellow fever.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2025

He died of yellow fever during a voyage to the Caribbean, and Cassandra never married.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2025

The French troops were wiped out by a combination of fierce fighting and an epidemic of deadly yellow fever.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis