Hemorrhagic Fevers Overview

Reviewed/Revised Feb 2024
VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION
Get the full details

What are hemorrhagic fevers?

Hemorrhagic fevers are serious viral infections that cause fever and bleeding from your mouth, nose, or organs inside your body. These infections can be deadly.

  • You can get these infections by touching infected people, animals, or insects, or their body fluids, such as their saliva, urine, droppings, or blood

  • Doctors can tell if you have hemorrhagic fever by doing blood tests

  • No medicine can cure hemorrhagic fevers, so doctors treat your symptoms, give you fluids, and make sure your organs are working well

  • Sometimes, they'll try antiviral medicines

What causes hemorrhagic fevers?

Hemorrhagic fevers are caused by viruses. Hemorrhagic fevers are a group of viral infections including:

What are the symptoms of hemorrhagic fevers?

These viruses make the blood vessels in your body leak, causing:

  • Bleeding under your skin and from your mouth, nose, or organs

In addition to bleeding, other symptoms include:

  • Fever

  • Muscle and body aches

  • Fatigue and weakness

  • When severe, coma, shock, and failure of the lungs, liver and kidneys

quizzes_lightbulb_red
Test your KnowledgeTake a Quiz!
Download the free Merck Manual App iOS ANDROID
Download the free Merck Manual App iOS ANDROID
Download the free Merck Manual App iOS ANDROID