Some Causes of Fever Based on Risk Factors
Risk Factor | Cause |
|---|---|
None (healthy) | Upper or lower respiratory tract infection Gastrointestinal infection |
Bloodstream infection related to a catheter inserted in a vein (IV catheter infection) Urinary tract infection, particularly in people with a urinary catheter Pneumonia, particularly in people on a ventilator Atelectasis (collapse of part of a lung due to an airway blockage, rather than an infection) Infection or a pocket of blood (hematoma) at the site of surgery Deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism Diarrhea (due to Clostridioides difficile–induced colitis) Drugs Transfusion reaction | |
Travel to areas where an infection is common (endemic areas) | Disorders that cause diarrhea Zika virus, chikungunya, Ebola virus, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, measles, and yellow fever Fungal infections such as coccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis, or histoplasmosis Rickettsial infections (such as African tick-bite fever and Mediterranean spotted fever) |
Exposure to insects or animals that carry disease-causing organisms, called vectors (in the United States) | Ticks: Rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis or anaplasmosis, Lyme disease, babesiosis, relapsing fever, or tularemia Mosquitoes: Encephalitis caused by arboviruses, malaria, or Zika virus infection; yellow fever Wild animals: Tularemia, rabies, or hantavirus infection Fleas: Plague Domestic animals: Brucellosis, cat-scratch disease, Q fever, or toxoplasmosis Birds: Psittacosis, bird flu Reptiles: Salmonella infection Bats: Rabies or histoplasmosis |
A weakened immune system (immunocompromise) | Viruses: Varicella-zoster virus infection or cytomegalovirus infection Bacteria: Infection due to pneumococci, meningococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Nocardia, or mycobacteria Fungi: Infection due to Candida, Aspergillus, Histoplasma, Coccidioides, microsporidia, Pneumocystis jirovecii, or fungi that cause mucormycosis Parasites: Infection due to Toxoplasma gondii, Strongyloides stercoralis, Cryptosporidium, or Cystoisospora belli |
Drugs that can alter body temperature | Phencyclidine (PCP) Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, or Ecstasy) Antipsychotic drugs (can cause neuroleptic malignant syndrome) Anesthetics (inhaled anesthetic gases such as halothane can cause malignant hyperthermia) Thyroxine Interferons (drugs that are based on substances produced by the immune system and that help block the reproduction of viruses) |
Drugs that can trigger fever by a hypersensitivity reaction | Beta-lactam antibiotics (such as penicillin) Sulfa drugs |