Viral hemorrhagic fevers - a recurrent public health threat

Abstract

Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) caused by viruses are severe infectious diseases that lead to serious disturbances of the body’s homeostasis, in most cases accompanied by symptoms of hemorrhagic diathesis. They are spread by infection vectors such as insects (mosquitoes, ticks), airborne droplets or direct contact with contaminated material (blood, sweat, excrement, feces). There are four major groups of RNA viruses that cause hemorrhagic fevers – these include pathogens from the families Flaviviridae, Bunyaviridae, Arenaviridae and Filoviridae. Despite their common name, VHFs are distinct disease entities with different etiologies, clinical manifestations and routes of transmission. Although they have been known for several decades and are associated with illnesses in tropical countries, the risk of their occurrence, in times of globalization and widespread international travel, is increasingly high. It is not insignificant that progressive climate change is making vectors of VHFs, which years ago were seen only in tropical countries, increasingly common on the European continent and even in eastern European countries.

Keywords

• recurrent diseases
• hemorrhagic fevers
• viruses
• public health