Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 23, 2026

Determining Temperature Preference of Mosquitoes and Other Ectotherms
05:31

Determining Temperature Preference of Mosquitoes and Other Ectotherms

Published on: September 28, 2022

2.8K

Fever: blessing or curse? A unifying hypothesis

P A Mackowiak1

  • 1Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland.

Annals of Internal Medicine
|June 15, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Fever can help or harm infection resistance. From a species perspective, fever aids recovery in mild infections but eliminates individuals with severe infections to prevent epidemics.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology and evolutionary biology

Background:

  • Fever and its mediators exhibit dual effects on infection resistance, potentiating or inhibiting it.
  • These contradictory effects are challenging to explain from an individual's survival standpoint.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reconcile the paradoxical roles of fever in infection resistance.
  • To explore the evolutionary and species-level implications of fever's effects.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of existing data on fever and infection resistance.
  • Teleological and evolutionary analysis of fever's functions.

Main Results:

  • Fever's effects are plausible when considering species preservation over individual survival.
  • Fever aids recovery in mild/moderate infections, promoting species propagation.
  • Fever eliminates individuals with severe infections, preventing epidemic spread.

Conclusions:

  • Fever and its mediators evolved as mechanisms for species survival.
  • Fever balances individual recovery with the elimination of epidemic threats.

More Related Videos

A Behavioral Screen for Heat-Induced Seizures in Mouse Models of Epilepsy06:58

A Behavioral Screen for Heat-Induced Seizures in Mouse Models of Epilepsy

Published on: July 12, 2021

5.8K
Using a Bacterial Pathogen to Probe for Cellular and Organismic-level Host Responses08:38

Using a Bacterial Pathogen to Probe for Cellular and Organismic-level Host Responses

Published on: February 22, 2019

6.4K

Related Concept Videos

Increased Body Temperature01:25

Increased Body Temperature

A body temperature above  38°C  (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in...
7.5K
Types of Fever01:25

Types of Fever

Fever can be triggered by several factors, including infections, nervous system disorders, certain cancers, blood diseases like leukemia, embolism, thrombosis, heatstroke, dehydration, surgical trauma, crushing injuries, and allergic reactions.
Here are the different types of fever:
1.3K
Patterns of Fever01:26

Patterns of Fever

Before understanding the types and patterns of fever, it is essential to know its phases.
4.0K
Methods of reducing fever01:22

Methods of reducing fever

The signs and symptoms of fever include hot and dry skin, flushed face, thirst, muscle aches, anorexia, headache, tachycardia, tachypnea, and fatigue. Elevated body temperature is reduced using two methods: pharmacological and nonpharmacological. Proper identification and treatment of the root cause of a fever is of utmost importance.
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:
1.4K
Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature01:19

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

Hyperthermia occurs when the body's temperature becomes unusually high, often due to heat exposure, intense physical activity, or certain illnesses. This condition can create a dangerous cycle where elevated body temperature increases the metabolic rate, generating more heat and potentially leading to organ failure and brain damage. A severe form of hyperthermia, called heat stroke, can raise body temperature to life-threatening levels. Fever, on the other hand, is a controlled form of...
4.3K
Factors Affecting Body Temperature01:28

Factors Affecting Body Temperature

As a nurse, it is vital to understand the factors affecting body temperature to monitor variations and effectively evaluate deviations from regular.
Factors may  include:
9.6K