It has recently been reported that picking up early signs of yellow fever, an infectious disease which can be fatal, could lead to a new treatment and better diagnosis. The journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases scientists looked at the effects of macaques, giving a control group the virus and the vaccine to compare results.

They found that within 24 hours, 90 percent of the animals’ white blood cells or lymphocytes had been lost in all 20 animals. It’s a big find to see which gene the virus disrupts and while there is still no approved drug, early diagnosis is crucial.

Doctors can then get to work on offering rehydration and supportive care, so in time this find could provide to be extremely important, and scientists can now begin to learn more about the disrupted genes and how they can be combated.