Search

Abstract: Lujo virus is an emerging arenavirus circulating in Southern Africa. Although to date there has only been a single outbreak of the novel haemorrhagic disease resulting from human infection with this virus, the case-fatality rate of exposed individuals, including nosocomial transmission, was 80%. The ability to identify viral haemorrhagic fevers accurately, especially those capable of nosocomial transmission, is of critical importance. Timely identification of these diseases allow medical professionals to isolate patients and implement barrier nursing techniques in order to prevent onward transmission of the virus. While rapid diagnostic methods are published for most viral haemorrhagic fevers, at present there are no such virus specific protocols for Lujo haemorrhagic fever. This report details the first set of diagnostic molecular assays designed to identify Lujo viral RNA rapidly, and demonstrates the potential functionality of these assays for use in the clinical setting. Although these assays have been designed and validated against a solitary isolate of Lujo virus, this represents the entirety of strains detected to date, and offer quick, cheap and easy methods for use in diagnostic laboratories. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Background: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a virulent tick-borne disease reported in more than 30 countries across Europe, Africa, and Asia. The disease is considered endemic in several Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan; however reports of human cases from these regions rarely reach the West. Methods: We analyzed all historical confirmed cases of CCHF in Tajikistan, mapping these reports against geographic data to assess risk areas. In addition, comprehensive analysis was undertaken on the 2010 human CCHF cohort to demonstrate effective methodologies for diagnosing this disease in-country. Results: These data show that CCHF is endemic in Tajikistan, and several large clusters have been recorded. Endemic foci of disease are localized to the southern region, with geographical factors such as altitude, monthly mean temperature, and monthly mean precipitation levels limiting establishment of tick vectors in other areas. Genomic analysis of viral RNA from a 2010 human case revealed high nucleotide homology (99%) to a strain isolated in Tajikistan in 1990. Conclusions: CCHF is an important vector-borne and nosocomial pathogen in Tajikistan. The ability to rapidly detect cases using real-time RT-PCR shortly after admission in the hospital setting allows prompt implementation of barrier nursing techniques, therefore reducing onward transmission of the virus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a pathogenic and often fatal arboviral disease with a distribution spanning large areas of Africa, Europe and Asia. The causative agent is a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus classified within the Nairovirus genus of the Bunyaviridae family. Cases of CCHF have been officially recorded in Kazakhstan since the disease was first officially reported in modern medicine. Serological surveillance of human and animal populations provide evidence that the virus was perpetually circulating in a local enzoonotic cycle involving mammals, ticks and humans in the southern regions of the country. Most cases of human disease were associated with agricultural professions such as farming, shepherding and fruit-picking; the typical route of infection was via tick-bite although several cases of contact transmission associated with caring for sick patients have been documented. In total, 704 confirmed human cases of CCHF have been registered in Kazakhstan from 1948-2013 with an overall case fatality rate of 14.8% for cases with a documented outcome. The southern regions of Kazakhstan should be considered endemic for CCHF with cases reported from these territories on an annual basis. Modern diagnostic technologies allow for rapid clinical diagnosis and for surveillance studies to monitor for potential expansion in known risk areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]