The mosquito responsible for the transmission of yellow fever in cities is the one belonging to the genus Aedes , which can happen both for Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti , which is also responsible for the transmission of dengue, Zika, Chikungunya and Mayaro fever.
In forest regions, yellow fever transmission occurs by mosquitoes of the genus Haemagogus and Sabethes , with the monkey being considered the main reservoir of the virus. Despite yellow fever occurring in monkeys, these animals do not transmit disease to people, transmission occurs only through mosquito bites. The notification of the occurrence of yellow fever in monkeys is important to know the endemic area and, thus, the vaccine can be better distributed.
Characteristics of the Yellow Fever mosquito
The yellow fever mosquito is similar to a common mosquito, especially those belonging to the genus Haemagogus and Sabethes . Aedes aegypti can be easily identified due to the presence of stripes and white balls on its body.
In addition, the yellow fever mosquito is most active during the day, especially during the hottest hours, and usually bites on the feet and the lower leg, as they cannot fly so high. See how to recognize Aedes aegypti .
How is the transmission
Transmission of the yellow fever virus occurs only through the mosquito bite. Not being transmitted from the monkey to people or from person to person. In forest areas, transmission occurs mainly by Haemagogus and Sabethes mosquitoes, which mainly bite monkeys. In these regions, man is considered an accidental host, and that can take the virus to urban areas.
In the city, this person can be bitten by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, for example, which acquires the virus and is able to transmit to more people. After the mosquito bite, if the person has never had yellow fever or has not been vaccinated, it is possible that they develop symptoms of the disease within 6 days after infection, with chills, high fever and muscle pain, for example. Know how to recognize the symptoms of yellow fever.
Prevention of Yellow Fever
The prevention of yellow fever is mainly done through vaccination, which is recommended from the age of 9 months for inhabitants of endemic regions and for people who will travel to areas with a high risk of infection by the yellow fever virus. The yellow fever vaccine is safe and effective, however there may be some side effects that pass after a few hours, such as fever, local pain, headache and on the body. See more about the yellow fever vaccine.
In addition to the vaccine, it is important to avoid factors that favor the development and spread of the mosquito, so it is important to pay attention to objects that can favor the accumulation of water, as this promotes the development of the mosquito. Check out the following video for some tips to fight the Aedes aegypti mosquito:
