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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffAlthough complications of VHFs vary, some problems occur with many of the viruses. They include:
- Uveitis. This serious eye inflammation affects the uvea, the layer just beneath the white of your eye (sclera). Uveitis causes redness, pain and sensitivity to light, but when treated promptly and appropriately, it doesn't usually cause long-term complications.
- Blindness. Rift Valley fever infections result in blindness for about one in five people affected.
- Pericarditis. This is swelling and irritation of the pericardium, the thin, membranous sac that surrounds your heart. Pericarditis usually causes sharp, stabbing chest pain, shortness of breath and an overall feeling of weakness or fatigue. Mild cases may go away on their own, but severe pericarditis can lead to life-threatening conditions such as cardiac tamponade, which puts pressure on your heart and interferes with its ability to pump blood efficiently.
- Encephalitis. This severe, potentially life-threatening brain inflammation is a possible complication of VHFs. Severe encephalitis can cause respiratory arrest, marked mental impairment, coma and death.
- Orchitis. This acute inflammation of the testicles causes swelling and pain and usually occurs as a result of a viral infection. In some cases, orchitis can lead to infertility.
- Hearing problems. As many as one-third of those who recover from Lassa fever will have deficits in their hearing, and possibly deafness.
- Spontaneous abortion. Loss of an unborn child is a frequent complication in pregnant women who develop VHFs.
- Hair loss. Many people who recover from VHFs experience temporary or permanent hair loss.
