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- CDC Publishes Testing Guidance for Patients with Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers and Rocky Mountain Fever
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that clinical laboratories review the testing guidance for viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHF) - a group of diseases caused by several distinct families of viruses. The term “viral hemorrhagic fever” refers to a condition that affects multiple organ systems of the body, damages the overall cardiovascular system, and reduces the body’s ability to function on its own.
VHFs are caused by infection with any of the following viruses: ebolaviruses, marburgviruses, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, arenaviruses (Lassa, Lugo, and South American hemorrhagic fever viruses), and Nipah virus.
While the risk of VHFs being brought into the US by travelers is very low, the CDC recommends that clinical laboratories review the testing guidance:
- Guidance for US Hospitals and Clinical Laboratories on Performing Routine Diagnostic Testing for Patients with Suspected Ebola Disease
- Guidance for Collection, Transport, and Submission of Specimens for Ebolavirus Testing
If testing determines a patient has a VHF, clinical teams should coordinate with public health officials and the CDC to ensure appropriate precautions are taken to help prevent the potential spread and coordinate care.
The CDC also issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) message about an outbreak of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) among people in the United States with recent travel to or from the city of Tecate, state of Baja California, Mexico. If RMSF is suspected, whole blood and serum samples obtained from acutely ill people should be evaluated for Rickettsia by molecular and serologic testing methods available at commercial laboratories, state public health laboratories, or CDC.