Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in ticks collected from imported camels in Egypt

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is one of the utmost broadly distributed tick-borne viruses, with an infection resulting in a fatality rate of up to 30%. During this study period, 25,000 hard adult ticks of Hyalomma species were collected from freshly slaughtered imported camels to determine the presence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) and genetic lineage of the virus. Ticks were pooled and analyzed for the existence of CCHFV using nested RT- PCR and real-time reverse transcription PCR; the genome was detected in 18 (1.44%) tick pools. Partial genome sequences reveal an adjacent relationship with strains from South Africa to Namibia, Nigeria, Sudan, Senegal, and Mauritania, corresponding to the Africa I and III genotypes. This study indicates the presence of CCHFV in Egypt and illustrates the potential for tick-borne dissemination of the virus. Further studies focused on not only tick samples, but also human samples are epidemiologically valuable to obtain exact data in the region. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.

Automated summary

This study identifies the presence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) in Egypt and highlights the potential for tick-borne transmission of the virus. It emphasizes the need for further research to obtain accurate epidemiological data in the region.