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Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a lethal viral disease that has severe public health effects throughout Africa and a case fatality rate of 10%–40%. CCHF virus was first discovered in Crimea in 1944 and has since caused a substantial disease burden in Africa. The shortage of diagnostic tools, ineffective tick control efforts, slow adoption of preventive measures, and cultural hurdles to public education are among the problems associated with continued CCHF virus transmission. Progress in preventing virus spread is also hampered by the dearth of effective serodiagnostic testing for animals and absence of precise surveillance protocols. Intergovernmental coordination, creation of regional reference laboratories, multiinstitutional public education partnerships, investments in healthcare infrastructure, vaccine development, and a One Health approach are strategic methods for solving prevention challenges. Coordinated efforts and financial commitments are needed to combat Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and improve all-around readiness for newly developing infectious illnesses in Africa.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the most widespread, tick-borne viral disease affecting humans. The disease is endemic in many regions, such as Africa, Asia, Eastern and Southern Europe, and Central Asia. Recently, the incidence of CCHF has increased rapidly in the countries of the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO EMR), with sporadic human cases and outbreaks of CCHF being reported from a number of countries in the region. Despite the rapidly growing incidence of the disease, there are currently no accurate data on the burden of the disease in the region due to the different surveillance systems used for CCHF in these countries. In an effort to increase our understanding of the epidemiology and risk factors for the transmission of the CCHF virus (CCHFV; a Nairovirus of the family Bunyaviridae) in the WHO EMR, and to identify the current knowledge gaps that are hindering effective control interventions, a sub-regional meeting was organized in Muscat, Oman, from December 7 to 9, 2015. This article summarizes the current knowledge of the disease in the region, identifies the knowledge gaps that present challenges for the prevention and control of CCHFV, and details a strategic framework for research and development activities that would be necessary to curb the ongoing and new threats posed by CCHFV.

The role of birds in the circulation of the virus of Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is described in the paper. Investigation of 758 samples of birds revealed the virus CCHF antigen to be present in 19 (2.51 % ± 0.57) rooks' samples. Corvidae were shown to be a full-fledged co-member of the Crimean hemorrhagic fever (CHL) natural foci in the territory of Rostov Region. Epidemiologic significance of this bird family consists in dissemination of the CCHL virus, expansion of the existing natural CHL foci, and thereby supporting the formation of new ones. Ecologic and epizootiologic role of Corvidae should be taken into consideration while conducting epidemiologic surveillance in HCL natural foci.

To confirm the presence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Sudan, we tested serum of 8 patients with hemorrhagic fever in a rural hospital in 2008. Reverse transcription–PCR identified Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. Its identification as group III lineage indicated links to virus strains from South Africa, Mauritania, and Nigeria.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne disease associated with a high case fatality rate and transmitted mainly by Hyalomma marginatum. The geographical distribution of H. marginatum covers most of the Western Mediterranean basin. We aimed to investigate whether CCHF virus (CCHFv) is circulating in Tunisia. Samples from unexplained acute febrile patients (n = 181) and a high risk group of humans, mainly slaughter workers (n = 38), were collected in the summer of 2014 and analyzed for exposure to CCHFv using serological tests and real-time RT-PCR. Ticks were collected from Northern and Southern Tunisia during May–June 2014 and examined for the presence of CCHFv by real-time RT-PCR. Of the 181 febrile patients, 5 showed only high titers of IgM suggesting a recent exposure to CCHFv. Among 38 slaughter workers, 2 had IgG anti-CCHFv responses yielding a seroprevalence of 5.2%. No CCHFv was detected in ticks and sera. Our results provide evidence of human exposure to CCHFv in Tunisia.