The adaptive value of fever

Infect Dis Clin North Am. 1996 Mar;10(1):1-20. doi: 10.1016/s0891-5520(05)70282-8.

Abstract

There is overwhelming evidence in favor of fever being an adaptive host response to infection that has persisted throughout the animal kingdom for hundreds of millions of years. As such, it is probable that the use of antipyretic/anti-inflammatory/analgesic drugs, when they lead to suppression of fever, results in increased morbidity and mortality during most infections; this morbidity and mortality may not be apparent to most health care workers because fever is only one of dozens of host defense responses. Furthermore, most infections are not life-threatening and subtle changes in morbidity are not easily detected.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological*
  • Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / therapeutic use
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Infections / physiopathology
  • Fever / physiopathology*
  • Homeostasis
  • Humans

Substances

  • Analgesics, Non-Narcotic