Bioterrorism - Viral Hemorrhagic Fever

Bioterrorism - Viral Hemorrhagic Fever

Abstract

Viral hemorrhagic fever is one of the most feared diseases of today's time. Although most people have heard of anthrax, smallpox and the plague, viral hemorrhagic fever has become a potent weapon used for bioterrorism, silently killing its victims and instilling fear in the rest of the population. Viral hemorrhagic fever can be divided into 4 families. Although each family of viral hemorrhagic fever may have some of its own unique characteristics, the four families are generally fairly similar regarding the high fevers and hemorrhages they cause. Because of past outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fever, scientists have reason to believe that terrorists have easier access to the deadly viruses and therefore are more likely to use the virus to kill and scare the general public.

When the economy suffers, not only are people?s financial lives affected but also their health. Viral hemorrhagic fever, abbreviated as VHF, is a deadly disease that can occur in animals, primarily in rodents, and humans. It is considered a Category A disease, one of the most serious agents used for bioterrorism, due to its potential power to kill and create world-wide panic in the 21st century.

VHF is caused by four different RNA viruses, which are all coated in fatty material made of lipids (Center for Disease Control n.p.). The four families, filovirus, arenavirus, bunyavirus and flavivirus, are considered VHFs because they have been known to cause fever and bleeding diathesis (Fong, Alibek, 169). In other words, VHF causes severe hemorrhaging, or bleeding, and destroys the body?s ability to recover (Center for Disease Control n.p.). Most VHF viruses except Rift Valley fever virus and the flaviviruses can b...

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