Hemorrhagic Fevers Overview
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Hemorrhagic fevers are serious viral infections
characterized by bleeding (hemorrhage).
Hemorrhagic fevers can be caused by many different types of
virus.
Depending on the type of virus, these infections may be
spread through contact with the skin or body fluids of an infected person,
through the droppings or urine of infected rodents, or through insect bites or
when contaminated food is eaten.
Symptoms may include fever, muscle and body aches, headache,
and vomiting, as well as bleeding from the mouth, nose, or internal organs.
To confirm the diagnosis, doctors do blood tests or
sometimes examine infected tissue under a microscope.
Treatment includes giving fluids and other treatments to
maintain body functions.
Antiviral drugs are effective against some hemorrhagic fever
viruses but not against all of them.
Several groups of viruses can cause fever and other symptoms
that are accompanied by severe bleeding (hemorrhagic fever).
The viruses most often associated with hemorrhagic fever are
Filoviruses, such as Ebola and Marburg viruses, which occur
mainly in parts of Central and West Africa
Arenaviruses, such as Lassa fever virus in West Africa and
Junin virus in South America
Bleeding occurs because the viruses make the blood vessels
leak. These infections are often fatal.
Many other viruses, including some South American
arenaviruses, dengue virus, hantavirus, and yellow fever virus, can cause
hemorrhagic symptoms.
Some of these viruses naturally reside in animals. Some are
spread by the bite of a tick or mosquito.