Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XIX
Written by Stelian BARAITAREANU, Doina DANES, Gabriela Victoria DUMITRESCU, Lucia Elena IONESCU, Alexandru Filip VLADIMIRESCU
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne zoonotic disease with high risk of emergence in areas with uncontrolled high population of ixodid or argasid ticks. Disease is caused by a Nairovirus (family Bunyaviridae), one of the three known humans’ pathogenic viruses of the genus, along with Dugbe virus and Nairobi sheep disease virus. Despite the important role played by livestock in the transmission and amplification of the CCHF virus, active surveillance of the disease is not part of the current actions of disease control in several countries. This situation may be due to subclinical evolution in animals and no economic effects on the livestock products. Nevertheless, CCHF virus is a major pathogen for humans, with haemorrhagic manifestations and mortality rate ranging from 5% to 80%. Consequently, implementation of public health measures in areas with high risk is decisive. This review summarized virus identification and immunological methods designed for CCHF and that may be used in active surveillance of disease in ruminants. Diagnostic tests for virus identification in animals can be used for surveillance (virus isolation in cell culture) or for determining the virus-free status (real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) In conclusion the front-line tool in diagnosis of CCHF seen to be reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and until the validation of serological methods seems to be the better for active surveillance of CCHF in ruminants.
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CCHF
