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

Not only do they drive residents nuts with itchy bites, but they can carry a number of potentially serious diseases, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

And after being vaccinated against yellow fever and transferred to Louisiana, she was told she had a flight to DR Congo the next day.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Beyond being irritating, mosquitoes spread dangerous diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, and Zika, which together cause more than 700,000 deaths each year.

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026

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

Within six months yellow fever was all but gone from Havana.

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