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Malaria - and its cousin, yellow fever - had significant implications during the war and the debilitating consequences of the disease were already certain before the Civil War had started in earnest and well before its final history had been written.
By Mayo Clinic Staff. Yellow fever is a viral infection spread by a particular type of mosquito. The infection is most common in areas of Africa and South America, affecting travelers to and residents of those areas. In mild cases, yellow fever causes fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. But yellow fever can become more serious, causing heart, liver and kidney problems along with bleeding (hemorrhaging). Up to 50 percent of people with the more severe form of yellow fever die of the disease.