WARNING URGENT: Contact Microbiology URGENTLY (3163 7809) prior to collecting any specimens.

TESTS AVAILABLE FOR:
EBOLA VIRUS, MARBURG VIRUS, LASSA VIRUS, CRIMEAN-CONGO VIRUS and RIFT VALLEY VIRUS.

Other Viruses that can cause VHF (manage as for above requests) include:

Arenaviruses (Lass virus is in this group):
Lujo, Junin (Argentinian Haemorrhagic Fever), Machupo (Bolivian Haemorrhagic Fever), Sabia (Venezuelan Haemorrhagic Fever), Guanarito (Venezuelan Haemorrhagic Fever), Chapare (Venezuelan Haemorrhagic Fever)

Filoviruses:
Zaire, Sudan, Reston, Tai Forest and Bundibugyo viruses are species in the Ebola virus genus

1. PCR
Serum, blood, urine, throat swabs, Tissue (including corneal scrapings),

2. SEROLOGY
Serum (acute and convalescent)

AREAS ENDEMIC FOR VIRAL HAEMORRHAGIC FEVER VIRUSES

1. EBOLA and MARBURG VIRUSES
Unknown reservoir in Central & East Africa. Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa 2014.

2. LASSA VIRUS
Direct transmission fro urine and faeces of rodents in Western Africa bewtween Nigeria & Senegal.

3. CRIMEAN-CONGO VIRUS
Tick borne virus in domestic and wild animals in Eastern Europe, Mediterranian, Middle East, North West China, India and Africa.

WARNING URGENT: The Viral Haemorrhagic Fever Viruses are highly infectious and you should contact either the Microbiologist on call (3163 7809) or the Infectious Diseases physician on call (3163 8111) for advice re precautions to undertake for all staff.