Special Testing



  Special Testing for Selected Patients with Febrile Illness Potentially Related to Yellow Fever Vaccination

(Information for doctors/clinicians)

Doctors/clinicians are encouraged to report cases of febrile illness potentially caused by yellow fever vaccination to the RKI by one of the following methods:

1.
2.
3.
 		Submitting a report by fax to: +49-30-18-754-2625
Filling in the Report Form (WORD 160K) with computer and faxing or mailing it NiedrigM@rki.de
Calling +49-30-18-754-2370 / 2321 (English/German)


Persons who develop a fever
  • >38.5°C (101.3°F) lasting at least 24 hours and
  • occurring within 30 days of yellow fever vaccination

will be prioritized by the RKI for further evaluation.

Note: Because local doctors/clinicians need to be involved in the evaluation, reports cannot be accepted directly from individual patients.
Reporting doctors/clinicians may be referred officers to discuss the types of testing which may be performed. Additional supporting information may be requested. Tests will be performed at RKI free of charge to patient.

To determine whether these illnesses are potentially related to recent yellow fever vaccination, the RKI can perform special testing on specimens previously collected from the patient. Testing includes

  • quantification of yellow fever antibody titers on acute- and convalescent-phase specimens;
  • polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and viral culture of acute-phase sera, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), peritoneal fluid, pleural fluid, and fresh-frozen tissue samples;
  • immunohistochemical analysis of fixed tissue; and
  • molecular analysis of vaccine virus from the same lot as administered to the patient.

Please refer to the following for details on storage and shipment of specimens

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