DEFER:

• For 180 days from the last contact if the donor was a former household contact of a person with viral haemorrhagic fever
• For 180 days if the donor had contact (excluding sexual contact) with a person who has Ever had Viral haemorrhagic Fever, if the donor is well
• For 180 days from the last contact if the donor is a healthcare worker who had contact (excluding sexual contact) with a person who ever had Viral Haemorrhagic Fever
• For 180 days after leaving an endemic country
• If the donor is under surveillance and until 180 days have elapsed since the most possible exposure/risk/sexual contact and the donor is well and asymptomatic.

PERMANENTLY EXCLUDE:

• If the donor has confirmed or suspected Viral Haemorrhagic Fever
• Current or former sexual partner of a person with Viral Haemorrhagic Fever
• Current household contact of a person with Viral Haemorrhagic Fever.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) refer to a group of illnesses that are caused by several distinct families of viruses. In general, the term “viral haemorrhagic fever” is used to describe a severe multisystem syndrome (multiple organ systems in the body are affected). Usually, the overall vascular system is damaged and the body’s ability to regulate itself is impaired. Symptoms are often accompanied by haemorrhage (bleeding) however the bleeding is itself rarely life-threatening. Some types of hemorrhagic fever viruses can cause relatively mild illnesses but many of these viruses cause severe, life-threatening disease. Examples include Crimean-Congo, Ebola, Marburg and Lassa VHF’s.