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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffThe viruses that cause viral hemorrhagic fevers live naturally in a variety of animal and insect hosts — most commonly mosquitoes, ticks, rodents or bats.
Each of these hosts typically lives in a specific geographic area, so each particular disease usually occurs only where that virus's host normally lives. Some viral hemorrhagic fevers also can be transmitted from person to person.
How is it transmitted?
The route of transmission varies by specific virus. Some viral hemorrhagic fevers are spread by mosquito or tick bites. Others are transmitted by contact with infected blood or semen. A few varieties can be inhaled from infected rat feces or urine.
If you travel to an area where a particular hemorrhagic fever is common, you may become infected there and then develop symptoms after you return home. It can take up to 21 days for symptoms to develop.
- Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191371208-2/0/1492/0.html#. Accessed Nov. 27, 2012.
- Viral hemorrhagic fevers: Fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/vhf.htm. Accessed Nov. 27, 2012.
- Rollin PE. Viral hemorrhagic fevers. 2012 Yellow Book. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2012/chapter-3-infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers.htm. Accessed Nov. 27, 2012.
- Ippolito G, et al. Viral hemorrhagic fevers: Advancing the level of treatment. BMC Medicine. 2012;10:1741.
- Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..X0001-X--TOP&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Nov. 27, 2012.
- Meltzer E. Arboviruses and viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHF). Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 2012;26:479.
- Wilder-Smith A. Dengue infections in travellers. Paediatrics and International Child Health. 2012;32:28.
- MacNeil A, et al. Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fevers: Neglected tropical diseases? Public Library of Science. 2012;6:e1546.
- Clean up rodent food sources and nesting sites. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/rodents/prevent_infestations/clean_up.html. Accessed Dec. 3, 2012.
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