Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of diseases caused by ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses from four
distinct families. These diseases include Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, Marburg
Hemorrhagic Fever, Lassa fever, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, and Yellow Fever.
Symptoms vary with the disease, but often include fever, fatigue, and muscle
aches. There may be bleeding, although death from blood loss is rare. Severe
cases can include shock and coma. Although some types of VHFs are relatively
mild illnesses, many of them can cause severe, life-threatening disease with
high fatality rates.
Along with smallpox, anthrax, plague, botulism, and tularemia, hemorrhagic fever
viruses are among the six agents identified by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) as the most likely to be used as biological weapons. Many
VHFs can cause severe, life-threatening disease with high fatality rates.
The following questions link to information relevant to VHFs.
|
Back to Top
