Exotic virus infections of military significance. Hemorrhagic fever viruses and pox virus infections.

Military personnel are frequently deployed to distant locations around the world under conditions of great stress, which involve potential exposure to hazardous viruses that are not commonly seen in the developed world. This article will provide an overview of two clinical presentations of viral infections of potential military significance: hemorrhagic fever and poxvirus infections. The three viral hemorrhagic fever viruses described--dengue, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, and Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever--represent the diversity of potential hemorrhagic fever viruses that military forces may be exposed. Human poxvirus infections are currently uncommon but knowledge of these agents, will again become important should a terrorist threat of the use of smallpox become real and widespread use of vaccinia be considered to protect the military force.