[Viral hemorrhagic fevers as a biological weapon]

Abstract

Viral haemorrhagic fevers are zoonoses caused by a group of phylogenetically diverse RNA-viruses, capable of causing serious haemorrhagic complications in humans. The West-African Ebola and Marburg viruses pose the most significant threat because of their easy spreading through direct contact with the ill person and high death rate reaching 90%. They are considered among the most dangerous agents possibly used in bioterrorist attack and have been studied as a part of the Soviet biological weapons programme. The first symptoms of the Ebola haemorrhagic fever appear 4 to 16 days after the infection and are rather unspecific (fever, flu-like and gastrointestinal symptoms, cough, sore throat, conjunctivitis). Within a few days the disease leads to weight loss, haemorrhagic complications and circulatory insufficiency. The infection may be transmitted through direct contact with the patient, his/her body fluids and cadavers; droplet transmission is much less likely. There is no specific prophylaxis nor treatment; still, isolation of patients and use of personal protection means by persons providing care to patients seem efficient in stopping the infection. The knowledge of the biology and epidemiology of Filoviridae is still limited, which makes the results of bioterrorist attack using these pathogens hard to predict.