Diagnosis

Diagnosing specific viral hemorrhagic fevers in the first few days of illness can be difficult because the early signs and symptoms — high fever, muscle aches, headaches and extreme fatigue — are common to many other diseases.

To help with diagnosis, tell your doctor about your medical and travel history and your exposure to rodents or mosquitoes. Include the countries you visited and the dates, as well as any contact you might have had with possible infection sources.

Lab tests, usually using a blood sample, are needed to confirm a diagnosis. Because viral hemorrhagic fevers are particularly infectious and contagious, these tests are usually performed in specially designated labs using strict precautions.