title: The outcome of patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Zahedan, southeast of Iran: a comparative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever was rarely reported from Iran before 1999. In a recent outbreak, the disease has been reported from different provinces of Iran, especially from Sistan and Baluchestan. Ribavirin has been recommended by World Health Organization as a potential therapeutic modality for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. This study was conducted to determine the clinical outcome and the effect of ribavirin in two groups of patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever who were treated at different times.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever who were admitted to Boo-Ali Hospital in Zahedan, a subtropical area in southeastern Iran, at the first three years after beginning of the last outbreak (1999 - 2003) and those who were admitted during 2005 - 2007. First, we found all patients with confirmed Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever infection who were treated with oral ribavirin. Then, they were evaluated for recovery and mortality rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated 123 patients with confirmed Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever infection (91 patients treated between 1999 and 2003, and 32 patients between 2005 and 2007). Among the 91 patients, 73 (80%) survived, and 18 (20%) died of the disease. During 2005 - 2007, among the 32 patients who were treated within three days of onset of the disease, only one (3%) died of the disease. The recovery rate was higher among patients who were admitted during 2005 - 2007 than those hospitalized between 1999 and 2003 (97% vs. 80%). There was a significant (P=0.001) difference in the mortality rate between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prompt treatment with oral ribavirin can increase the recovery rate in patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Boo-Ali Hospital, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. batoolsharifi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Batool
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sharifi-Mood
authors.forename: Malihe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Metanat
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghorbani-Vaghei
authors.forename: Farshid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fayyaz-Jahani
authors.forename: Elyas
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akrami
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006479:Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin