title: Viral haemorrhagic fevers in South Africa.
abstract: Viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) include a diverse array of diseases caused by a broad range of viruses transmitted from various animal hosts and originating from almost all the continents in the world. These are potentially fatal and highly transmissible diseases without specific treatments or prophylactic vaccines. As has been demonstrated during the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa, the consequences of VHFs are not limited to specific countries - they may become epidemic, and may have considerable economic impact and disrupt local public health and social service structures. Intensive public health intervention is necessary to contain these diseases. Here we provide a concise overview of the VHFs that are of current public health importance to South Africa.
authors.affiliation: Division of Critical Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa. guy.richards@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Guy A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weyer
authors.forename: Lucille H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Blumberg
mesh_terms: D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006482:Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D011634:Public Health; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology