Why does my father have fever of unknown origin?
Dr Irwin Ziment
Professor of Medicine,
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA
Professor of Medicine,
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA
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.