Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF)
2010 Case Definition
CSTE Position Statement(s)
- 09-ID-18
Subtype(s)
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
- Ebola virus
- Lassa virus
- Marburg virus
- New World arenavirus – Guanarito virus
- New World arenavirus – Junin virus
- New World arenavirus – Machupo virus
- New World arenavirus – Sabia virus
Background
New world Arenaviruses include: Guanarito, Machupo, Junin, and Sabia.Clinical Description
A person with acute onset with ALL the following clinical findings:
- A fever >40°C, AND
- One or more of the following clinical findings:
- Severe headache
- Muscle pain
- Erythematous maculopapular rash on the trunk with fine desquamation 3–4 days after rash onset
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Pharyngitis (arenavirus only)
- Abdominal pain
- Bleeding not related to injury
- Retrosternal chest pain (arenavirus only)
- Proteinuria (arenavirus only)
Laboratory Criteria For Diagnosis
One or more of the following laboratory findings:
- Detection of viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) viral antigens in blood by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antigen detection
- VHF viral isolation in cell culture for blood or tissues
- Detection of VHF viral genes using reverse transcriptase with polymerase chain reaction amplification (RT-PCR) from blood or tissues
- Detection of VHF viral antigens in tissues by immunohistochemistry
Exposure
- One or more of the following exposures within the 3 weeks before onset of symptoms:
- Contact with blood or other body fluids of a patient with VHF
- Residence in—or travel to—a VHF endemic area
- Work in a laboratory that handles VHF specimens
- Work in a laboratory that handles primates from endemic areas
OR
- Exposure within the past 3 weeks to semen from a confirmed acute or convalescent case of VHF within the 10 weeks of onset of symptoms