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Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses as Biological Weapons

Viral Hemorrhagic Feverrefers to a group of highly infectious severe viral illnesses caused by over 20 different viruses in four different types of viral families. Some common ones are Yellow fever, Lassa fever, Ebola, and Marburg. Others are listed in the table in the medical review article posted here.  These highly infectious viruses lead to a potentially lethal disease syndrome characterized by fever, malaise, vomiting, mucosal and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, edema, and hypotension. The hemorrhagic fevers of most serious concern, particularly Marburg and Ebola, are spread through person-to-person contact, including aerosols from people who are actively sick in the viremia phase with coughing or sneezing. Infected people with symptoms (viremia phase) can spread the virus to uninfected people when the infected person’s secretions (saliva, respiratory droplets, blood, vomit, stool, vaginal secretions, and semen) contact mucous membranes (mouth, nose, eyes, rectum, vagina, or breaks in the skin) of someone who is not infected. Family members can be infected as they care for sick relatives. Healthcare personnel can be infected if not using proper protective equipment (PPE) that covers them from head to toe. For more detailed information on the potential public health threats and spread of these illnesses, see the important 2002 consensus review article “Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses as Biological Weapons: Medical and Public Health Management” from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Working Group on Civilian Biodefense: https://www.truthforhealth.org/2022/07/hemorrhagic-fever-viruses-as-biological-weapons/

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