title: Seroprevalence of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Erzincan Province, Turkey, Relationship with Geographic Features and Risk Factors.
abstract: To determine the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) in residents of Erzincan, Turkey. Although CCHFV is endemic in Erzincan, this is the first study to evaluate its seroprevalence in this region. This study included a total of 372 subjects, 174 of whom had been exposed to or bitten by ticks, 145 of whom worked with livestock, and 53 of whom resided in the city and did not have exposure to livestock. Data on CCHFV IgG and IgM antibodies were extracted from serum samples collected from all subjects using an ELISA. All samples were tested for CCHFV IgG and CCHFV IgM. Only IgM-positive samples were processed for detection of viral RNA through RT-PCR. Using seropositive cases only, we performed spatial analyses to evaluate correlations between seroprevalence and geographic location (i.e., proximity to rivers, altitude, and slope angle of land). In this study, 14.0% (52/322) of the total subjects were positive for CCHFV IgG. Seven of the individuals were positive both for CCHFV IgG and CCHFV IgM. Of these seven, only one sample tested positive for CCHFV RNA. Individuals who worked with livestock in the rural areas and had a history of tick exposure were statistically more likely to test positive for CCHFV IgG than individuals from the city and not exposed to ticks (p < 0.05). Seroprevalence was affected by geographic characteristics, including distance to rivers, altitude, and slope angle of land. We observed a high seroprevalence of CCHFV in Erzincan, which is similar to that observed in other endemic regions of Turkey. CCHFV seroprevalence rates are found to be quite high in the people who live in the sloping fields at certain heights and where there are a lot of rivers and streams.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medical Microbiology, Erzincan University , Erzincan, Turkey .
authors.forename: Aytekin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cikman
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medical Microbiology, Erzincan University , Erzincan, Turkey .
authors.forename: Merve
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medical Microbiology, Erzincan University , Erzincan, Turkey .
authors.forename: Baris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gulhan
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Erzincan University , Erzincan, Turkey .
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karakecili
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Erzincan University , Erzincan, Turkey .
authors.forename: Ozan Arif
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Kesik
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Erzincan University , Erzincan, Turkey .
authors.forename: Adalet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozcicek
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Erzincan University , Erzincan, Turkey .
authors.forename: Hicran
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akin
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Medical Microbiology, Erzincan University , Erzincan, Turkey .
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D003225:Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006479:Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D058751:Livestock; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D064927:Tick Bites; D013987:Ticks / Q000821:virology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus; Geographic features; Risk factors; Seroprevalence; Turkey