Who Has the Highest Fever in the World?
The highest recorded body temperature in a human who survived is 115°F (46.5°C). This was recorded in 1980 for Willie Jones, a 52-year-old man from Atlanta who was admitted to the hospital with heatstroke. He survived after spending 24 days in the hospital and holds the Guinness World Record for the highest recorded body temperature.
While Willie Jones's case represents the highest recorded temperature, it's crucial to understand that exceptionally high fevers are extremely dangerous and often associated with life-threatening conditions. Various illnesses can cause dangerously high temperatures, including:
- Heatstroke: As seen in Willie Jones's case, heatstroke can lead to extremely high body temperatures.
- Severe infections: Some severe bacterial or viral infections can cause dangerously high fevers. Examples include severe dengue, which is mentioned in several provided sources, although a specific temperature isn't tied to a single case.
- Other medical conditions: Other medical emergencies can also cause elevated body temperature.
It's important to note that the sources provide information on various high-fever illnesses (dengue, typhoid, yellow fever, Lassa fever) but do not report specific individuals with definitively higher temperatures than Mr. Jones. The available information focuses on the incidence and severity of these diseases, not necessarily the peak temperature reached in individual cases.
Important Note: Record Keeping Limitations
It is important to acknowledge that the "highest fever" might not be accurately reflected in readily available records. Accurate temperature measurement throughout history has not always been consistent or readily available. Thus, Willie Jones's record might represent the highest recorded temperature, but not necessarily the absolute highest temperature ever experienced by a human.
