title: Molecular detection of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus in ticks from southeastern Iran.
abstract: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus is a tick-borne member of the genus Nairovirus, family Bunyaviridae. CCHF virus has been isolated from at least 31 different species of ticks. The virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected tick or by direct contact with CCHF virus-infected patients or the products of infected livestock. This study was conducted to determine the rate of CCHF virus infection in ticks in the district of Zahedan, in the province of Sistan and Baluchistan, southeastern Iran. A total of 140 ticks were collected from Sistan and Baluchistan. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used for the detection of the CCHF virus genome in the tick population. This genome was detected in 4.3% of ticks collected from livestock of different regions of Zahedan. The infected tick genera belonged to Hyalomma and Haemaphysalis. Although in the epidemiology of CCHF virus Hyalomma ticks are considered to be the most important vectors and reservoirs, the virus has also been reported to occur in other genera of ticks, which conforms to the current data in our study from Sistan and Baluchistan. Given that animals are common hosts for Hyalomma and Haemaphysalis, regular monitoring programmes for livestock should be applied for CCHF virus control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Zahedan University of Medical Science, Zahedan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehravaran
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moradi
authors.forename: Zakyeh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Telmadarraiy
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mostafavi
authors.forename: Ali Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Moradi
authors.forename: Sahar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khakifirouz
authors.forename: Nariman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shah-Hosseini
authors.forename: Fereshteh Sadat Rasi
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Varaie
authors.forename: Tahmineh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jalali
authors.forename: Soheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hekmat
authors.forename: Seyed Mojtaba
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ghiasi
authors.forename: Sadegh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chinikar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors; D005260:Female; D003225:Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006479:Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D013045:Species Specificity; D013987:Ticks / Q000821:virology*