Possible sexual transmission of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

Abstract

Three cases of family transmission of laboratory-confirmed Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) among spouses are reported. These spouses had sexual contact at the end of the incubation period or during the early stage of the mild form of CCHF, without any hemorrhagic symptoms in the first infected spouse. This report demonstrates that sexual contact may represent a real risk of CCHF transmission, even if the patient only experiences mild symptoms.

Keywords

• Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
• Family cluster
• Sexual contact
• Transmission of infection