Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever among health care workers in Iran: a seroprevalence study in two endemic regions.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) has repeatedly caused nosocomial outbreaks among hospital staff. In the summer of 2003, we studied the seroprevalence of anti-CCHF IgG among health care workers who had come in contact with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever patients from three referral hospitals in endemic regions of Iran. A total of 223 eligible staff were examined. Whereas 5 of 129 (3.87%) exposed health care workers tested positive, none of the 94 in the unexposed group did (P=0.075). Seropositivity was more frequent among those whose intact skin had come in contact with nonsanguineous body fluids (9.52%) and those who had had percutaneous contacts (7.14%). Health care workers exposed to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever patients, those who live in Systan-Baluchestan province, and older health care workers were more prone to seropositivity. Where introduction of high-risk modes of contact cannot be confined, we propose that health care workers take all the protective measures when handling Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever patients, particularly their blood and other body fluids.
Mardani
Masoud
M
Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Rahnavardi
Mohammad
M
Rajaeinejad
Mohsen
M
Naini
Kourosh Holakoui
KH
Chinikar
Sadegh
S
Pourmalek
Farshad
F
Rostami
Mojtaba
M
Shahri
Mohammad Hashemi
MH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D003225:Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo / Q000276:immunology; D006479:Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000914:Antibodies, Viral