title: Hidden threat of tortoise ticks: high prevalence of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in ticks Hyalomma aegyptium in the Middle East.
abstract: It is the first time that Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), causing potentially lethal disease of humans, has been reported from the Middle East region and from the tortoise tick Hyalomma aegyptium from a tortoise host, whose epidemiological significance may have remained almost completely overlooked so far. We used RT-PCR to screen for 245 ticks collected from 38 Testudo graeca tortoise individuals. Results of our genetic screening provide unambiguous evidence of occurrence of CCHFV in this region and host, suggesting a potentially important role of H. aegyptium in CCHF epidemiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř, 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic. sirokyp@vfu.cz.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Široký
authors.forename: Tomáš
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bělohlávek
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Papoušek
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jandzik
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mikulíček
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubelová
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zdražilová-Dubská
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006239:Haplotypes; D003225:Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D013593:Syria / Q000453:epidemiology; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013987:Ticks / Q000821:virology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014426:Turtles / Q000469:parasitology*