Molecular Assay on Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Ticks (Ixodidae) Collected from Kermanshah Province, Western Iran.
BACKGROUND
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a feverous and hemorrhagic disease endemic in some parts of Iran and caused by an arbovirus related to Bunyaviridae family and Nairovirusgenus. The main virus reservoir in the nature is ticks, however small vertebrates and a wide range of domestic and wild animals are regarded as reservoir hosts. This study was conducted to determine the infection rate of CCHF virus in hard ticks of Sarpole-Zahab County, Kermanshah province, west of Iran.


METHODS
From total number of 851 collected ticks from 8 villages, 131 ticks were selected randomlyand investigated for detection of CCHF virus using RT-PCR.


RESULTS
The virus was found in 3.8% of the tested ticks. Hyalommaanatolicum, H. asiaticum and Rhipicephalus sanguineus species were found to have viral infection, with the highest infection rate (11.11%) in Rh. sanguineus.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide epidemiological evidence for planning control strategies of the disease in the study area.
Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Maria
M
Mohammadian
Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers Laboratory (National Reference Laboratory), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Sadegh
S
Chinikar
Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Zakkyeh
Z
Telmadarraiy
Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Hassan
H
Vatandoost
Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Ali
MA
Oshaghi
Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Ahmad Ali
AA
Hanafi-Bojd
Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Mehdi
MM
Sedaghat
Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mehdi
M
Noroozi
Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Faezeh
F
Faghihi
Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers Laboratory (National Reference Laboratory), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Tahmineh
T
Jalali
Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers Laboratory (National Reference Laboratory), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Sahar
S
Khakifirouz
Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers Laboratory (National Reference Laboratory), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
Nariman
N
Shahhosseini
Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Firoozeh
F
Farhadpour
CCHFV; Iran; Ixodidae; Kermanshah