Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
Volume 8, Issue 3 , Pages 139-143, May 2010

Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever: Risk for emergence of new endemic foci in Europe?

  • Helena C. Maltezou

      Affiliations

    • Department for Interventions in Health-Care Facilities, Hellenic Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Athens, Greece
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department for Interventions in Health-Care Facilities, Hellenic Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, 3–5 Agrafon Street, Athens 15123, Greece. Tel.: +30 210 5212 175; fax: +30 210 5212 177.
    • ,
  • Anna Papa

      Affiliations

    • First Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

Received 4 February 2010; received in revised form 27 April 2010; accepted 29 April 2010. published online 31 May 2010.

Summary 

During recent years, new foci of Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) have emerged in several Balkan countries, southwest Russia, and Turkey. Starting in 2002, Turkey experiences the largest ever recorded outbreak with more than 2500 cases. Potential reasons for the emergence or re-emergence of CCHF include climate changes which may have a significant impact on the reproduction rate of the vector Hyalomma ticks, as well as anthropogenic factors (e.g. changes in agricultural and hunting activities). Given the abundance of its vector, the numerous animals that can serve as hosts, and the favorable climate and ecologic parameters in other southern Europe Mediterranean countries, CCHF is an example of a vector-borne disease which may be knocking the door in this area. There are models which show probability of CCHF extending to other countries around the Mediterranean basin suggesting that the vector, veterinarian, and human surveillance should be enhanced.

Keywords: Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever, Emergence, Southeastern Europe, Turkey, Vector-borne disease

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PII: S1477-8939(10)00060-8

doi:10.1016/j.tmaid.2010.04.008

Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
Volume 8, Issue 3 , Pages 139-143, May 2010

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