Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever: epidemiological trends and controversies in treatment

Abstract

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus has the widest geographic range of all tick-borne viruses and is endemic in more than 30 countries in Eurasia and Africa. Over the past decade, new foci have emerged or re-emerged in the Balkans and neighboring areas. Here we discuss the factors influencing CCHF incidence and focus on the main issue of the use of ribavirin for treating this infection. Given the dynamics of CCHF emergence in the past decade, development of new anti-viral drugs and a vaccine is urgently needed to treat and prevent this acute, life-threatening disease.

Figure 1

Foci of CCHF emergence or re-emergence in southeast Europe and neighboring countries from 2000. Stars indicate sites of CCHF emergence in southeastern Europe; oval indicates the epicenter of the large CCHF epidemic in Northeastern Anatolia, Turkey; and circles indicate the site of CCHF re-emergence in Southwestern Russia (Data from References 12 and 17). The Figure was created based on a map outline available at: http://geography.about.com/library/blank/blxeurope.htm. Abbreviations: CCHF, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.