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Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs) |
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Recognition |
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Risk factors for viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) include
travel to geographic areas where these diseases may naturally occur, handling of
animal carcasses, contact with animals or people with the disease, and arthropod
bites. The following references aid in recognizing disease characteristics and
hazards associated with VHFs.
Disease Recognition
-
Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHF) in Healthcare Settings. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Provides resources for healthcare professionals.
- Ebola
Hemorrhagic Fever. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Special Pathogens Branch, (2003, November 26). Provides a table that charts
the outbreaks of Ebola virus chronologically by year, country, number of
cases, and percentage of deaths.
- Disease
Information. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Special
Pathogens Branch, (2007, November 8). Provides an explanation of the types of VHFs that the CDC Special Pathogens Branch primarily deals with. The
following links provide specific disease information including symptoms,
occurrence, and transmission:
- The World Health Organization (WHO) provides the following fact sheets
about viral hemorrhagic fevers. Each fact sheet includes a history,
symptoms, transmission, therapy, and containment.
Bioterrorist Threat Evaluation
Factors that contribute to the bioterrorism potential of
VHFs include infectious properties, morbidity and mortality, transmissibility by
way of aerosol dissemination, and prior research and development as biological
weapons. The following references provide information that may help evaluate the
threat of viral hemorrhagic fevers being used as biological weapons.
- Viral
Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF): Current, comprehensive information on pathogenesis,
microbiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prophylaxis.
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), (2007, March
1). Offers a list of countries that have either weaponized VHFs or have
conducted biological weapons research on these viruses. Also lists
hemorrhagic fever viruses that pose serious threats as potential biological
weapons.
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Healthcare system not ready for attack with hemorrhagic fever viruses. Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), (2002, May 8).
Discusses a report released by the Journal of the
American Medical Association (JAMA) regarding how poorly prepared the
healthcare system is to combat a terrorist attack involving VHFs.
- Borio, L., et al. "Hemorrhagic
Fever Viruses as Biological Weapons." Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA),
287.18(2002, May 8): 2391-2405. Contains information on the history
of tularemia and its use in biowarfare, as well as epidemiology, clinical
images, diagnosis, vaccination, treatment, and infection control.
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