Phylogenetic analysis in a recent controlled outbreak of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in the south of Iran, December 2008

TY - JOUR

T1 - Phylogenetic analysis in a recent controlled outbreak of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in the south of Iran, December 2008

AU - Chinikar, S

AU - Ghiasi, Seyed Mojtaba

AU - Mojtaba Ghiasi, S

AU - Moradi, M

AU - Goya, M M

AU - Reza Shirzadi, M

AU - Zeinali, M

AU - Mostafavi, E

AU - Pourahmad, M

AU - Haeri, A

PY - 2010/11/25

Y1 - 2010/11/25

N2 - Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral zoonotic disease with a high mortality rate in humans. The CCHF virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of Ixodid ticks or contact with blood or tissues of CCHF patients or infected livestock. In December 2008, a re-emerging outbreak of CCHF occurred in the southern part of Iran. Five people were hospitalized with sudden fever and haemorrhaging, and CCHF was confirmed by RT-PCR and serological assays. One of the cases had a fulminant course and died. Livestock was identified as the source of infection; all animals in the incriminated herd were serologically analysed and more than half of them were positive for CCHFV. We demonstrated that two routes of transmission played a role in this outbreak: contact with tissue and blood of infected livestock, and nosocomial ransmission. Phylogenetic analyses helped to identify the origin of this transmission. This outbreak should be considered as a warning for the national CCHF surveillance system to avoid further outbreaks through robust prevention and control programmes.

AB - Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral zoonotic disease with a high mortality rate in humans. The CCHF virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of Ixodid ticks or contact with blood or tissues of CCHF patients or infected livestock. In December 2008, a re-emerging outbreak of CCHF occurred in the southern part of Iran. Five people were hospitalized with sudden fever and haemorrhaging, and CCHF was confirmed by RT-PCR and serological assays. One of the cases had a fulminant course and died. Livestock was identified as the source of infection; all animals in the incriminated herd were serologically analysed and more than half of them were positive for CCHFV. We demonstrated that two routes of transmission played a role in this outbreak: contact with tissue and blood of infected livestock, and nosocomial ransmission. Phylogenetic analyses helped to identify the origin of this transmission. This outbreak should be considered as a warning for the national CCHF surveillance system to avoid further outbreaks through robust prevention and control programmes.

KW - Animals

KW - Antibodies, Viral

KW - Cross Infection

KW - Disease Outbreaks

KW - Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo

KW - Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean

KW - Humans

KW - Iran

KW - Livestock

KW - RNA, Viral

KW - Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

KW - Serologic Tests

KW - Ticks

KW - Zoonoses

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 21144440

SN - 1025-496X

VL - 15

JO - Eurosurveillance

JF - Eurosurveillance

IS - 47

ER -