Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.
OBJECTIVE
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a tick-borne viral zoonosis with the potential of human-to-human transmission, affecting wide areas in Asia, Southeastern Europe, and Africa. Hemorrhagic manifestations constitute a prominent symptom of late stage disease with case fatality rates from 10% to 50%. The purpose of this article is to review recent literature on Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever with emphasis on its epidemiology and management.


RESULTS
Climate and environmental changes may affect Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever epidemiology and trigger community outbreaks. Risk factors for acquisition of infection have been well studied. In the hospital, high-risk activities include interventions for gastrointestinal bleeding and needle stick injuries. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction may rapidly diagnose Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever with high sensitivity and specificity. Ribavirin is the only promising therapeutic agent currently available but case-control studies have not been conducted. Recently, the Mx proteins have been found to act against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus and deserve further research.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinicians should be aware of the potential of importation of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever cases from endemic areas and nosocomial transmission. Studies on the efficacy of ribavirin are needed.
Vorou
Regina
R
Office for Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases, Athens, Greece.
Pierroutsakos
Ioannis N
IN
Maltezou
Helen C
HC
D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003225:Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D006479:Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013987:Ticks; D015047:Zoonoses
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin