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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffPreventing viral hemorrhagic fevers, especially in developing nations, presents enormous challenges. Many of the social, economic and ecological factors that contribute to the sudden appearance and spread of infectious diseases — war, displacement, destruction of habitat, lack of sanitation and proper medical care — are problems that have no easy or quick solutions.
If you live in or travel to areas where viral hemorrhagic fevers are common, you should take precautions to protect yourself from infection.
Get vaccinated
The yellow fever vaccine is generally considered safe and effective, although in rare cases, serious side effects can occur. Check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the status of the countries you're visiting — some require certificates of vaccination for entry. The yellow fever vaccine isn't recommended for children under 9 months of age or for pregnant women, especially during the first trimester. Vaccines for several less common types of viral hemorrhagic fevers are currently in development.
Avoid mosquitoes and ticks
Wear light-colored long pants and long-sleeved shirts or, better yet, permethrin-coated clothing. Don't apply permethrin directly to the skin. Avoid unnecessary activities at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active and apply mosquito repellent with a 20 to 25 percent concentration of DEET to your skin and clothing. If you're staying in tented camps or local hotels, use bed nets and mosquito coils.
Guard against rodents
To prevent rodent infestations in your home:
- Keep pet food covered and stored in rodent-proof containers.
- Store trash in rodent-proof containers, and clean the containers often.
- Dispose of garbage on a regular basis.
- Make sure doors and windows have tightfitting screens.
- Place woodpiles and stacks of bricks and other materials at least 100 feet from your house.
- Mow your grass closely and keep brush trimmed to within 100 feet from your house.
- Bell M. Viral hemorrhagic fevers. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/206119449-3/1014371662/1492/1348.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50409-2_16895. Accessed June 11, 2010.
- Viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF): Current, comprehensive information on pathogenesis, microbiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and prophylaxis. Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/bt/vhf/biofacts/vhffactsheet.html. Accessed June 11, 2010.
- Viral hemorrhagic fevers: Fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/vhf.htm. Accessed June 11, 2010.
- Farnon EC, et al. Viral hemorrhagic fevers. 2010 Yellow Book. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2010/chapter-5/viral-hemorrhagic-fevers.aspx. Accessed June 11, 2010.
- Peters CJ. What are VHFs and how can we respond medically? In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00327-1&uniq=205678381&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&sid=1012990473#lpState=opened&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00327-1--s0020%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-443-06839-3. Accessed June 14, 2010.
- Zielinski-Gutierrez E, et al. Protection against mosquitoes, ticks and other insects and arthropods. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2010/chapter-2/protection-against-mosquitoes-ticks-insects-arthropods.aspx. Accessed June 17, 2010.
- 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 June 17, 2010.
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