Abstract
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne zoonosis with a high case fatality rate in humans. Although the disease is widely found in Africa, Europe, and Asia, the distribution and genetic diversity of CCHF virus (CCHFV) are poorly understood in African countries. To assess the risks of CCHF in Zambia, where CCHF has never been reported, epidemiologic studies in cattle and ticks were conducted. Through an indirect immunofluorescence assay, CCHFV nucleoprotein-specific serum IgG was detected in 8.4% (88/1,047) of cattle. Among 290 Hyalomma ticks, the principal vector of CCHFV, the viral genome was detected in 11 ticks. Phylogenetic analyses of the CCHFV S and M genome segments revealed that one of the detected viruses was a genetic reassortant between African and Asian strains. This study provides compelling evidence for the presence of CCHFV in Zambia and its transmission to vertebrate hosts.
Highlights
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne zoonotic disease characterized by hemorrhagic fever and a high case fatality rate
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe viral disease mainly transmitted by ticks
While CCHF is endemic in Africa, information on the distribution and genetic diversity of CCHF virus (CCHFV) is quite limited in many Sub-Saharan African countries
Summary
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne zoonotic disease characterized by hemorrhagic fever and a high case fatality rate. CCHF virus (CCHFV) belongs to the family Nairoviridae, genus Orthonairovirus [1], and has a negative-sense and single-stranded RNA genome composed of tripartite large (L), medium (M), and small (S) segments encoding RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, glycoprotein, and nucleoprotein (N), respectively. A variety of wild and domestic animals, including cattle, goats, and sheep, are susceptible to the virus [2]. These animals do not manifest clinical symptoms upon CCHFV infection and serve as amplifying hosts of the virus. Direct contact with blood or tissues of infected livestock is a major transmission mode of CCHFV to humans, as well as tick bites. Nosocomial CCHFV infection in healthcare workers is seen during CCHF outbreaks [3]
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