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The Conversation
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Phil Starks, Associate Professor of Biology, Tufts University

From furry friends to fish, turning up the heat helps animals fight germs − how Mother Nature’s cure offers humans a lesson on fever

Fish
Sick animals often move to warmer places to raise their body temperature. GK Hart/Vikki Hart/Stone via Getty Images

Why do people get fevers when we get sick?

It’s a common misconception that pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2 or the flu, cause fevers. But as biology professors, we know it’s not that simple. Pathogens cause fevers only indirectly.

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