Unspecified viral hemorrhagic fever A99-
Clinical Information
- A group of viral diseases of diverse etiology but having many similar clinical characteristics; increased capillary permeability, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia are common to all. Hemorrhagic fevers are characterized by sudden onset, fever, headache, generalized myalgia, backache, conjunctivitis, and severe prostration, followed by various hemorrhagic symptoms. Hemorrhagic fever with kidney involvement is hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.
- Syndrome that occurs in perhaps 20-40 percent of infections by a number of different viruses of the families arenaviridae, bunyaviridae, flaviviridae, filoviridae, etc; some types of hemorrhagic fever are tick borne, others mosquito borne, and some seem to be zoonoses; clinical manifestations are high fever, scattered petechiae, gastrointestinal tract and other organ bleeding, hypotension, and shock; kidney damage may be severe and neurologic signs may appear.
- Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of illnesses caused by four families of viruses, including the Ebola and Marburg viruses and the Lassa fever virus. VHFs share common characteristics: they affect multiple organs, damage blood vessels, and impair the body’s ability to regulate itself. While some VHFs cause mild disease, others, like Ebola or Marburg, result in severe illness and death.
- VHFs are found worldwide, with specific diseases typically restricted to regions where the carrier animals reside. For instance, Lassa fever is confined to rural areas of West Africa, where rats and mice carry the virus. Although the risk for travelers is low, it is advisable to avoid areas experiencing outbreaks. Due to the lack of effective treatments for some of these viral infections, there is concern about their potential use in bioterrorism. This information is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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