Resumo

VALENTE-ACOSTA, B  e  GARCIA-ACOSTA, J. Yellow fever: A concise review given the current epidemiological scenario. Med. interna Méx. [online]. 2017, vol.33, n.5, pp.648-654. ISSN 0186-4866.  https://doi.org/10.24245/mim.v33i5.1560.

Mosquitoes transmit yellow fever, a viral infection characterised by haemorrhage and jaundice. Currently, it is endemic in African and South American countries whereas our country has been declared free of the disease since 1959 following the latest outbreaks and epidemics occurred in coastal cities from both the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific coast that were registered from the Colony until the middle of century XX. In 1881, Carlos J Finlay, who was a Cuban physician, exposed the hypothesis concerning the transmission of yellow fever by vectors; such theory was corroborated in 1890. In 1903, Mexico started working to eradicate the disease through control of mosquitoes. Finally, in 1923 Mexico achieved the control of the disease with the last urban case registered, whereas the last jungle case was recorded in 1959. However, due to the resurgence of the disease in our continent, it is important to provide the clinician with a comprehensive review of the disease and to raise awareness of the possible occurrence of imported or autochthonous cases in our territory.

Palavras-chave : yellow fever; arbovirus; haemorrhagic fever.