title: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever among children in Iran.
abstract: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral zoonotic disease which is endemic in Iran. The etiological agent of CCHF is an RNA virus belonging to the genus Nairovirus of the family Bunyaviridae. CCHF virus (CCHFV) can be transmitted to humans through bites from infected ticks and direct contact with infected blood or tissues. Although the disease has been observed in different age groups, the rate of disease is lower in children and elderly. This study was designed to characterize CCHFV-infected children in Iran. Between 2000 and 2016, a total of 908 CCHF suspected cases (in children less than 19 years old) were evaluated for CCHFV infection by CCHF IgM ELISA and RT-PCR. CCHFV infection was observed in 161 (17.73%) of subjects. Most CCHF positive children were male (70.8%) and >15 years of age (65.8%). Contact with livestock was the main risk factor (35.4%). Sistan and Baluchestan provinces had the highest frequency within the infected cohort (68.3%). The overall mortality rate was 11.8%. This study also revealed a significant reduction in CCHF-fatality rates in Iranian children when compared to earlier studies in Iran. Having contact with livestock was the major risk factor and CCHF was more common in male children of an older age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Science and Research Branch Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Dalileh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aslani
authors.affiliation: Department of Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (National Ref Lab), Pasteur Institute of Iran, 69 Pasteur Ave., Tehran, 1316943551, Iran.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salehi-Vaziri
authors.affiliation: Department of Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (National Ref Lab), Pasteur Institute of Iran, 69 Pasteur Ave., Tehran, 1316943551, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baniasadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (National Ref Lab), Pasteur Institute of Iran, 69 Pasteur Ave., Tehran, 1316943551, Iran.|Shahed University, Department of Biology, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Tahmineh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jalali
authors.affiliation: Department of Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (National Ref Lab), Pasteur Institute of Iran, 69 Pasteur Ave., Tehran, 1316943551, Iran.
authors.forename: Sanam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azad-Manjiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (National Ref Lab), Pasteur Institute of Iran, 69 Pasteur Ave., Tehran, 1316943551, Iran.
authors.forename: Tahereh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (National Ref Lab), Pasteur Institute of Iran, 69 Pasteur Ave., Tehran, 1316943551, Iran.
authors.forename: Sahar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khakifirouz
authors.affiliation: Department of Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (National Ref Lab), Pasteur Institute of Iran, 69 Pasteur Ave., Tehran, 1316943551, Iran. mfp.virology@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fazlalipour
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D003225:Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006479:Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D058751:Livestock / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral