Annals of Disaster Medicine

ISSN:1684-193X

Abstract ---Viral hemorrhagic fever has ever been used as a route of bioterrorism. The mode of transmission, clinical course, and mortality of these illnesses vary with the specific viruses. In Taiwan, dengue fever is the most encountered disease of hemorrhagic fever. In the viewpoint of bioterrorism, dengue is always excluded because it is not transmissible by small-particle aerosols, and primary dengue causes hemorrhagic fever rarely. However, it still may carry great morbidity and mortality in naturally occurring outbreaks. We therein review the clinical spectrum of dengue fever and also emphasize that it is essential to teach the medical community how to diagnose and manage dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever and to implement an emergency contingency plan to anticipate the logistical issues of hospitalizing large numbers of patients and to outline measures for community-wide vector control activities. Public education for carrying out vector control is also a determining step.