Hemorrhagic Viruses

Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers

The term viral hemorrhagic fever refers to a group of diseases that are caused by various families of viruses. Hemorrhagic fevers range from mild illnesses to life-threatening diseases. There are four types of hemorrhagic fevers: Arenaviruses, Bunyaviruses, Filoviruses, and Flaviviruses.

Hemorrhagic Fever Classification

Arenaviruses	Bunyaviruses	Filoviruses	Flaviviruses
Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever	Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever	Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever	Tick-borne Encephalitis
Bolivian Hemorrhagic Fever	Rift Valley Fever	Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever	Kyasanur Forest Disease
Sabia-associated Hemorrhagic Fever	Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome		Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever
Lassa Fever	Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome
Lymphocitic Choriomeningitis
Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever

Properties of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever

-RNA viruses covered by a fatty(lipid) coating

-Their survival is dependent on an animal or insect host, called the natural reservoir.

The viruses are geographically restricted to the areas where their host species live.

-Humans are not the natural reservoir for any of these viruses. Humans are infected when they come into contact with infected hosts. However, with some viruses, after the accidental transmission from the host, humans can transmit the virus to one another.

-Human cases or outbreaks of hemorrhagic fevers caused by these viruses occur sporadically and irregularly. The occurrence of outbreaks cannot be easily predicted.

-With a few noteworthy exceptions, there is no cure or established drug treatment for VHFs.