Yellow fever is caused by a virus transmitted through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, with an incubation period of 3-6 days. Symptoms include headache, fever, and muscle aches initially, which can develop into more severe symptoms like jaundice, liver failure, and black vomit in the second phase for some patients. While most cases resolve on their own, around 3% of infected individuals may die from yellow fever if the disease progresses to liver and kidney failure.