Co-circulation of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus strains Asia 1 and 2 between the border of Iran and Pakistan
Nariman Shahhosseini,
Ahmad Jafarbekloo,
Zakkyeh Telmadarraiy,
Sadegh Chinikar,
Ali Haeri,
Norbert Nowotny,
Martin H. Groschup,
Anthony R. Fooks,
Faezeh Faghihi
Affiliations
Nariman Shahhosseini
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Department of Virology, Hamburg, Germany
Ahmad Jafarbekloo
Medical School, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Zakkyeh Telmadarraiy
Department of Entomology, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran; Corresponding authors.
Sadegh Chinikar
Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Corresponding authors.
Ali Haeri
Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Norbert Nowotny
Institute of Virology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria; Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Martin H. Groschup
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
Anthony R. Fooks
Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector-borne Diseases Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Surrey, KT15 3NB, UK; Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
Faezeh Faghihi
Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral disease that is transmitted by numerous species of ticks, which serve both as a reservoir and vector of CCHF virus (CCHFV). Molecular and serological tests were undertaken on hard ticks (Ixodidae spp.) and samples from livestock were collected in 2015 from Chabahar County in Southeast Iran. Using RT-PCR, the ticks were tested for the presence of CCHFV. In addition, seven livestock were serologically tested for the presence of IgG antibodies using an ELISA test. IgG antibodies against CCHFV were detected in one of 7 of the livestock that were tested. In total, 49 ticks including five species: Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Hyalomma anatolicum, Hy. asiaticum, Hy. dromedarii and Hy. marginatum with a prevalence of 46.9%, 32.7%, 4.1%, 4.1% and 2.1% respectively were identified. CCHFV was detected in three ticks among 49 collected ticks. The ticks infected with CCHFV belonged to the genus Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that two sequences clustered in clade IV (Asia-1) and one sequence was located within clade IV (Asia-2). Most of the animal and human CCHF cases of the country are reported from Sistan and Baluchistan provinces. Regular monitoring programs in the tick population and livestock are needed in the future.