In countries from which Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is absent, the causative virus, CCHF virus (CCHFV), is classified as a hazard group 4 agent and handled in containment level (CL)-4. In contrast, most endemic countries out of necessity have had to perform diagnostic tests under biosafety level (BSL)-2 or -3 conditions. In particular, Turkey and several of the Balkan countries have...

Background: We aimed to determine diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of clinical laboratory findings in patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF).

The rate of discovery of new microbes and of new associations of microbes with health and disease is accelerating. Many factors contribute to this phenomenon including those that favor the true emergence of new pathogens as well as new technologies and paradigms that enable their detection and characterization. This chapter reviews recent progress in the field of pathogen surveillance and disco...

During the last decade Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) emerged and/or re-emerged in several Balkan countries, Turkey, southwestern regions of the Russian Federation, and the Ukraine, with considerable high fatality rates. Reasons for re-emergence of CCHF include climate and anthropogenic factors such as changes in land use, agricultural practices or hunting activities, movement of livest...

Background and Aims: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a fatal viral disease that occurs in approximately 30 countries. It has the most extensive geographic range among the tick-borne viruses that affect human health. CCHF viruses have a tripartite RNA genome consisting of large (L), medium (M) and small (S) segments. This study was undertaken to determine the genetic relationship of CC...