Contagious viral hemorrhagic fevers are acute natural focal infectious diseases caused by several types of viruses belonging to the following four families: arenaviruses, buniaviruses, filoviruses, flaviviruses. These diseases are characterized by common features and specific damage to the hemostasis system, whose functions consist in maintaining the liquid state of the blood, blocking bleeding in case of vascular damage, and also dissolving blood clots.
How can I get sick?
The main reservoir and sources of diseases are different kinds of animals, and carriers, mainly, are blood-sucking arthropods (ticks, mosquitoes, mosquitoes). In other cases, the infection is transmitted in other ways:
- alimentary;
- water;
- air-dust;
- parenteral;
- zoonotic.
Susceptibility to these infections is very high, but most often hemorrhagic fevers are recorded among people who are constantly in contact with animals, wildlife objects due to professional activity.
Let us dwell on the manifestations of some types of hemorrhagic fevers.
Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever
This disease is caused by a virus from the family of bunyaviruses, first discovered in the Crimea, and later in the Congo. An infection is transmitted to a person through tick bites, as well as when performing medical manipulations related to blood. Infectious agents can be rodents, birds, livestock, wild mammals. The incubation period of the disease can last from 1 day to 2 weeks. The main symptoms of the Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever are:
- sudden increase in body temperature to 39-40 ° C;
- chills ;
- headache;
- redness of facial skin and mucous membranes;
- strong weakness;
- nausea;
- muscle and joint pain.
After a couple of days on the skin and mucous membranes there are hemorrhages in the form of rashes, red spots, bruises. There is also bleeding gums, possible uterine and other types of bleeding. There are pains in the abdomen, jaundice, a decrease in the excretion of urine.
Ebola haemorrhagic fever
A major outbreak of this disease caused by Ebola viruses from the family of filoviruses was registered in Guinea (West Africa) in 2014 in February and continued until December 2015, extending to Nigeria, Mali, the USA, Spain and some other countries. This epidemic claimed the lives of more than ten thousand people.
Ebola virus can be infected from a sick person in the following ways:
- through saliva;
- sexual intercourse;
- when in contact with blood;
- airborne droplets.
Which animals are sources of infection, is not known, but it is assumed that the main ones are rodents. On average, the incubation period lasts about 8 days, after which the patients have such symptoms:
- increase in body temperature to 38-40 ° C;
- nausea, vomiting;
- pain in the head, in the throat;
- increased tonsils;
- diarrhea.
After a while, a hemorrhagic rash appears, bleeding starts from the gastrointestinal tract, nose, genitals, gums, and there is a decrease in kidney and liver function.
Argentine haemorrhagic fever
The causative agent of this infection is Junin virus, which belongs to arenaviruses, whose family includes pathogens similar in symptomatic Bolivian hemorrhagic fever. The main reservoir and source are hamster-like rodents. Infection often occurs by airborne dust by inhaling dust contaminated by rodents, but can also occur as a result of eating food contaminated with urine. The incubation period
- malaise;
- irritability;
- muscle pain;
- hemorrhage, erosion on the mucous membranes of the mouth;
- increase in temperature to 39-40 ° C;
- redness of the face;
- hemorrhagic rash, bleeding.