Seroepidemiological study of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Greece, 2009-2010

Abstract

To estimate endemic areas for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Greece, a country-wide seroepidemiological study was conducted, and 1611 human sera were prospectively collected along with data regarding possible risk factors for acquisition of infection, and tested for CCHF virus IgG antibodies by ELISA. The overall seroprevalence was 4.2%, with significant differences among prefectures, ranging from 0 to 27.5%. Multivariate analysis revealed that slaughtering and agricultural activities were significant risk factors for CCHFV seropositivity. The significantly high seroprevalence in specific prefectures, together with the extremely low number of CCHF cases, suggest that this phenomenon might be strain-related.