Viral haemorragic fevers

The ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa last year made headlines globally and was appalling in its death toll and the helplessness felt. It has taught us two things. The first of these was that the global infrastructure is ill-equipped for outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHF) in terms of primary and secondary prevention let alone treatment. The second is that, in an era of dense intercontinental travel, complacency about infection risk in high income countries is at least irrational if not dangerous. Ebola is one of the filovirus family, which in turn is one of four groups of human haemorrhagic fever groups (also including flavi, bunya and arena viruses). Though there has been some progress in specific antivirals and yellow fever, at least is …