Isolation of the virus as a diagnostic procedure for yellow fever in West Africa.

With modern organizations for mass vaccinations in operation, the diagnosis by serological tests of yellow fever is becoming increasingly difficult. The isolation of the virus from the circulating blood of the patient offers a reasonably reliable alternative method of diagnosis and has the advantage of giving a more rapid result.From a study of four epidemics in West Africa the chances of procuring a successful isolation are analysed according to the duration and severity of the illness.