Viral hemorrhagic fevers are spread by contact with infected animals or insects. The viruses that cause viral hemorrhagic fevers live in a variety of animal and insect hosts. Most commonly the hosts include
mosquitoes, ticks, rodents or bats
. Some viral hemorrhagic fevers can also be spread from person to person.
What is the causative agent of hemorrhagic fever?
Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of illnesses caused by four families of viruses. These include the
Ebola
and Marburg, Lassa fever, and yellow fever viruses. VHFs have common features: they affect many organs, they damage the blood vessels, and they affect the body's ability to regulate itself.
Who are the reservoirs and vectors of hemorrhagic fevers agents?
Rodents and arthropods
are the main reservoirs for viruses causing haemorrhagic fevers, although the hosts of some viruses (such as Ebola and Marburg) are still unknown. VFRs are caused by viruses belonging to four different families, such as flaviviruses, bunyaviruses, arenaviruses and filoviruses
How are hemorrhagic fevers transmitted?
Viruses causing hemorrhagic fever are initially
transmitted to humans when the activities of infected reservoir hosts or vectors and humans overlap
. The viruses carried in rodent reservoirs are transmitted when humans have contact with urine, fecal matter, saliva, or other body excretions from infected rodents.
How do the hemorrhagic fevers agents invade the human body?
For some viral haemorrhagic fevers, person-to-person transmission may occur through
direct contact with infected blood or secretions
. Infectious agents are transmitted by arthropod like mosquitoes and ticks.
What is the best treatment for hemorrhagic fever?
While
no specific treatment exists
for most viral hemorrhagic fevers, the antiviral drug ribavirin (Rebetol, Virazole) might shorten the course of some infections and prevent complications in some people.
What are the 4 major disease vectors?
Vector-borne diseases are illnesses that are transmitted by vectors, which include
mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas
. These vectors can carry infective pathogens such as viruses, bacteria , and protozoa , which can be transferred from one host (carrier) to another.
Why is Ebola called hemorrhagic fever?
The cause of Ebola hemorrhagic fever is
Ebola virus infection that results in coagulation abnormalities
, including gastrointestinal bleeding, development of a rash, cytokine release, damage to the liver, and massive viremia (large number of viruses in the blood) that leads to damaged vascular cells that form blood …
How do you say hemorrhagic cyst?
If the cyst bleeds, it is called a hemorrhagic (say “
heh-muh-RA-jick”
) ovarian cyst.
Is hemorrhagic fever real?
Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHF) are a group of
diseases
that affect multiple organ systems in the body and may be accompanied by hemorrhage, or bleeding. What are VHFs? Learn more about specific viral hemorrhagic fevers – their signs and symptoms, how they are spread, and how to prevent them.
How are viral hemorrhagic fevers treated? Generally
there is no known cure or treatment for these diseases
. People with these illnesses may get supportive treatment. This may include getting fluids or assistance with breathing and pain relievers.
What is Korean hemorrhagic fever?
Editorial Note: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), sometimes known as Korean hemorrhagic fever, is
a viral infection acquired from rodents
, principally the species Apodemus agrarius, Rattus rattus, and Clethrionomys glariolus. Human infections are widespread, particularly in Asia north of the Himalayas.
Is dengue a hemorrhagic fever?
In the past 30 years, dengue transmission and the frequency of dengue epidemics have increased greatly in most tropical countries in the American region. Some patients with dengue fever go on to develop dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), a
severe and sometimes fatal form of the disease
.
Yes. Many hemorrhagic fever viruses are considered possible bioterrorism agents because they are highly infectious,
can be aerosolized (made airborne)
, and would cause serious illness in the target population.
Ebola and Marburg
, which belong to the Filoviridae family of viruses, can be spread from person to person and are among the most deadly hemorrhagic fever illnesses.
How is hemorrhagic fever diagnosed?
How are viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) diagnosed? Doctors diagnose
VHFs with blood and urine tests
. These tests allow a doctor to examine a sample of blood or urine to see if it contains proteins and antibodies associated with VHFs.
