hemorrhagic fever

noun

: any of a diverse group of virus diseases (such as Lassa fever and Ebola) that are usually transmitted by arthropods or rodents and are characterized by a sudden onset, fever, aching, bleeding in the internal organs, petechiae, and shock

Examples of hemorrhagic fever in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lassa fever is a deadly hemorrhagic fever common to West Africa. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2024

The current list includes: COVID-19; Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever; Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease; Lassa fever; Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and SARS; Nipah and henipaviral diseases; Rift Valley fever; Zika; Disease X. 3. —Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 17 Jan. 2024

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever Like Ebola and Marburg, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness that can cause bleeding from bodily orifices. —Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 12 Jan. 2024

Lassa fever Like Ebola, Marburg, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness. —Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 12 Jan. 2024

There are four families of viruses that cause the diseases known as viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs), a term that originates from two characteristics of the illnesses: fever and hemorrhage (bleeding), with the latter occurring in some of the most severe cases. —Mark Kortepeter, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023

Health officials in Guinea are rushing to contain the first outbreak of the deadly Ebola disease in the region since 2016, days after authorities detected new cases of the hemorrhagic fever in the Democratic Republic of Congo, testing a continent that is already battling the coronavirus pandemic. —Nicholas Bariyo, WSJ, 15 Feb. 2021

Though there are no licensed vaccines for it, a vaccine for Argentinean hemorrhagic fever—caused by the similar Junin virus—may also offer protection against Machupo, according to Stanford University. —Byerin Prater, Fortune Well, 10 Nov. 2023

Both are characterized by viral hemorrhagic fever, a condition that can cause internal bleeding and damage multiple organ systems. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 14 Feb. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

hemorrhagic fever

noun

: any of a diverse group of virus diseases (as Korean hemorrhagic fever, Lassa fever, and Ebola) that are usually transmitted to humans by arthropods or rodents and are characterized by a sudden onset, fever, aching, bleeding in the internal organs (as of the gastrointestinal tract), petechiae, and shock