Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
1st International Health Sciences Congress, Van, Türkiye, 27 - 29 Kasım 2022, ss.28
Objective: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral disease of humans that is most widespread in some countries such as Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Southeast Europe. The disease continues to be a health problem in Türkiye and other endemic countries in recent years. CCHFV does not cause clinical disease in animal hosts but develops an antibody response and a transient viraemia.
The Objective of this study is to evaluate the status of CCHFV infection both serologically and virologically in three ruminant species in the Van region as a non-endemic area.
Material-Method: For this Objective, 491 EDTA blood and 491 serum specimens were collected from cattle, sheep, and goats in different locations, especially in areas close to the Iran border in the Van province of Türkiye. The presence of CCHFV-specific antibodies in blood serum samples was determined by using the double antigen ELISA-Ab kit, and conventional RT-PCR was performed to detect the CCHFV nucleic acid and viraemic animals.
Results: The CCHFV-Ab positivity rate in blood serum samples was determined as 36.65%. Seroprevalence values were detected as 11.6%, 64.45%, and 81.63% in cattle, sheep, and goats, respectively. In the RT-PCR assay, 1.22% (6/491) of the tested animals were found to be viraemic at the time of sampling.
Conclusion: These Results show that CCHFV is circulated in three ruminants in the Van region widely, which is considered a non-endemic area. There is an enhanced risk of infection for humans in close contact with the infected animals, and it is emphasized to take a risk assessment for public health. High seroprevalence rates and viraemic animals may lead to future endemics in rural areas.