Hemorrhagic Fevers Summary Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of illnesses caused by four families of viruses. These include the Ebola and Marburg, Lassa fever, and yellow fever viruses. VHFs have common features: they affect many organs, they damage the blood vessels, and they affect the body’s ability to regulate itself. Some VHFs cause mild disease, but some, like Ebola or Marburg, cause severe disease and death. VHFs are found around the world. Specific diseases are usually limited to areas where the animals that carry them live. For example, Lassa fever is limited to rural areas of West Africa where rats and mice carry the virus. The risk for travelers is low, but you should avoid visiting areas where there are disease outbreaks. Because there are no effective treatments for some of these viral infections, there is concern about their use in bioterrorism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Specifics Arenaviridae Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever World Health Organization Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Filoviridae Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Lassa Fever Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Marburg Haemorrhagic Fever World Health Organization Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever (Marburg HF) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rift Valley Fever (RVF) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Yellow Fever Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Find an Expert Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases World Health Organization World Health Organization Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Lassa Fever National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Yellow Fever National Institutes of Health Start Here Haemorrhagic Fevers, Viral World Health Organization Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Journal Articles Hemorrhagic Fevers Related Issues Travelers’ Health: Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travelers’ Health: Yellow Fever Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Array Yellow fever Patient Handouts Yellow Fever Vaccine: What You Need to Know Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Latest News Scientists Try to Stop Another Deadly Virus HealthDay