Characteristics of patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in a recent outbreak in Turkey and impact of oral ribavirin therapy.
We describe the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory findings and the role of ribavirin therapy for 35 patients who received a diagnosis of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). All patients had immunoglobulin M antibodies and/or PCR results positive for CCHF virus in blood or tissue specimens. Eighty-six percent of the patients were considered to have severe cases of CCHF. The overall case-fatality rate was 2.8%. Eight patients were given ribavirin, and all 8 survived. We suggest using ribavirin to treat patients with CCHF, particularly those with severe cases.
Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Department, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. oergonul@hotmail.com
Onder
O
Ergönül
Aysel
A
Celikbaş
Başak
B
Dokuzoguz
Sebnem
S
Eren
Nurcan
N
Baykam
Harika
H
Esener
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006479:Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D007964:Leukocytosis / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase