Q: My father is 63 years old. He is suffering from consistent fever from the last two months. The reports show no symptoms of typhoid, malaria, etc. Further he has lost 6 kg in the last two months. Our family doctor is of the view that the fever is due to poor immune system and with time he will recover. Please advise further.

A:Prolonged fever of unknown origin could be caused by a hidden area of tuberculosis (such as in the spine) or may indicate indolent diseases such as lymphoma or cancer or even brucellosis, or perhaps infection of a heart valve. Time will tell or else the fever will clear up spontaneously. In many cases the fever remains unexplained and is not significant even if it is annoying.