title: Detection of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus genome in saliva and urine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus is transmitted by tick bites and by contact with the blood or tissues of infected patients and livestock. This study was designed to investigate the genome of CCHF virus in saliva and urine samples of patients with CCHF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight patients with laboratory-confirmed CCHF were included in the study. The diagnosis was made by detection of viral RNA in blood by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR). Samples of saliva from six patients and samples of urine from three patients were collected at the same time as the blood samples and analyzed for viral RNA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The genome of CCHF virus was detected in the saliva from five of the six patients and in the urine from two of the three patients. The levels of viral load in the saliva and urine samples were similar to those in the blood samples in all but one patient, in whom higher levels were detected in blood compared to saliva or urine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that during human infection with CCHF virus, viral genomes are present in the saliva and urine. Further studies to isolate infectious viruses from these fluids and to study whether they represent an infectious risk are underway.
authors: Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, 06100 Samanpazari, Ankara, Turkey. hurrembodur@gmail.com
authors: Hurrem
authors: H
authors: Bodur
authors: Esragul
authors: E
authors: Akinci
authors: Pinar
authors: P
authors: Ongürü
authors: Ahmet
authors: A
authors: Carhan
authors: Yavuz
authors: Y
authors: Uyar
authors: Aliye
authors: A
authors: Tanrici
authors: Osman
authors: O
authors: Cataloluk
authors: Ayhan
authors: A
authors: Kubar
mesh_terms: D016679:Genome, Viral; D003225:Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006479:Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*; D014556:Urine / Q000821:virology*; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral