Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Hyalommid Ticks, Northeastern Kenya

Abstract

As part of ongoing arbovirus surveillance, we screened ticks obtained from livestock in northeastern Kenya in 2008 to assess the risk for human exposure to tick-borne viruses. Of 1,144 pools of 8,600 Hyalomma spp. ticks screened for Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever virus by reverse transcription PCR, 23 pools were infected, demonstrating a potential for human exposure.

Keywords

• Arbovirus
• ticks
• Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
• species
• livestock
• viruses