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.

---

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

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of yellow fever

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

yellow fever

The yellow fever virus, also indigenous to Africa, must have stowed away too.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 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

The Aedes mosquito, primarily Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, is responsible for transmitting chikungunya as well as other major viruses like dengue, Zika, and yellow fever.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2025

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

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2025

Complaints about the water and its link to yellow fever increased with each new visitation, until action was finally taken in 1799.

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