A short review on ticks and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever disease in emergency department perspective in endemic regions

Abstract

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a lethal disease caused by the CCHF virus of the Bunyaviridae family. The virus is transmitted to humans through tick bites or contact with blood and tissues of infected animals. Various domestic and wild animals have been identified as a reservoir for this virus, including cattle, sheep, goats, hedgehogs and hares. Numerous species of ticks can carry the virus; however, very few of them have been implicated as vectors. The most important tick vector is the Hyalomma spp., as the virus was isolated from it and its geographic distribution coincides with that of the disease. In Turkey, especially since 2002, CCHF has been a serious public health problem threatening lives of thousands of people. A regional epidemic has occurred in Turkey in 2003 and since then, when considering the number of CCHF cases reported worldwide, the highest number has been reported in Turkey. The majority of cases in our country were from 15 cities in a region called Kelkit Canyon and its environs in the middle and North Anatolia, particularly the cities of Corum, Tokat, Sivas, Yozgat and Erzurum from which two-thirds of cases were reported. In this article, our aim was to guide physicians for CCHF in endemic regions in the World and share our experiences. Being aware of the disease is the mainstay for prevention from the disease and reduce morbidity and mortality related to it.