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Congo Fever — Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever
Published in James H. S. Gear, CRC Handbook of Viral and Rickettsial Hemorrhagic Fevers, 2019
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, a name often abbreviated to CCHF or Congo fever, is a virus disease transmitted to man by ticks, and in particular by species of the genus Hyalomma. Medical officers, nurses, and other personnel attending patients may acquire the infection by contact with blood or blood-stained excretions or exhalations from patients and by needle pricks while collecting blood. Laboratory staff may acquire the infection in the course of their investigations.
Ticks
Published in Jerome Goddard, Public Health Entomology, 2022
Viruses associated with ticks. Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a disease complex encompassing at least three syndromes caused by closely related viruses spanning from the British Isles (Louping ill), across Europe (Central European tick-borne encephalitis), to far-eastern Russia [Russian spring-summer encephalitis (RSSE)] (Figure 10.12). In Central Europe the typical case has a biphasic course with an early, viremic, flulike stage, followed about a week later by the appearance of signs of meningoencephalitis.15 Central nervous system (CNS) disease is relatively mild, but occasional severe motor dysfunction and permanent disability occur. Powassan encephalitis (POW)—also in the TBE subgroup—is a relatively rare infection of humans that mostly occurs in the northeastern United States and adjacent regions of Canada. Characteristically, there is sudden onset of fever with temperature up to 40°C along with convulsions. Also, accompanying encephalitis is usually severe, characterized by vomiting, respiratory distress, and prolonged, sustained fever. Cases of POW are still relatively rare in North America, although its reported incidence is increasing.4,16 There were 21 cases reported in 2018.4 Colorado tick fever is a moderate, self-limiting febrile tick-borne illness occurring in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States and Canada. The primary vector is Dermacentor andersoni. Small mammals such as ground squirrels and the ticks themselves serve as reservoirs of the virus. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a rather serious tick-borne illness occurring in many countries in central and eastern Europe, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. Transmission is mainly by Hyalomma marginatum and other closely related species. Rabbits, cattle, and goats are believed to be the reservoir hosts. Kyasanur forest disease, transmitted primarily by Haemaphysalis spinigera and related species, occurs in southern India. The disease is believed to be contracted by people working in/near the Kyasanur forest or cattle grazing at the forest edge. In the last decade, several new tick-borne viruses have been identified. Heartland virus (a Phlebovirus) is associated with the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum and has been recognized in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Tennessee.17,18 Only about 50 cases of Heartland virus have been identified. A couple of cases of a new Thogotovirus called Bourbon virus have been identified in the Midwest and southern United States with an unknown tick vector.19 Evidence suggests the lone star tick may be a potential vector.20
Purtscher-like Retinopathy Associated with Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever: A Case Report
Published in Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, 2022
Duygu Yalinbas, Erman Bozali, Ayse Vural, Husne Kocak, Haydar Erdogan
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is one of the most severe viral infectious diseases for humans. The disease has a widespread geographical distribution, especially Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. The incidence of CCHF has been increased recently, and outbreaks of disease are crucial for world health in terms of epidemic potential, high mortality rate, nosocomial infection possibility and treatment, and prevention difficulties.11 The pathogenesis of CCHF consists of endothelial dysfunction, vascular leakage, and capillary fragility. Endothelial damage causes activation of the coagulation cascade, thrombocytopenia, and bleeding.12 Increased myeloperoxidase expression in leukocytes could lead to lysis of leukocyte. Recently, higher IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α have been reported in CCHF patients.13 Also, the necrosis of liver cells leads to the elevation of liver enzymes.11
Update on Proteomic approaches to uncovering virus-induced protein alterations and virus –host protein interactions during the progression of viral infection
Published in Expert Review of Proteomics, 2020
RayBiotech markets ‘antibody arrays’, which, like gene micro-arrays, are slides containing spots of up to several hundred specific detection molecules, which in the case of an antibody array, are, as the name implies, antibodies. This allows simultaneous measurement of several hundred proteins in a given sample. Aydin and colleagues used such arrays to measure hundreds of protein alterations induced by Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) [82]. The authors collected blood serum samples from acute and convalescent patients with presumed CCHFV infection, and from matched healthy controls. The authors were specifically interested in matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and so used the RayBiotech antibody array to assess MMP-1, −2, −7, −9 and −10, and tissue matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors (TIMP)-1. The study found that all tested MMPs and TIMP-1 were significantly reduced in convalescent sera compared to acute infection sera, and that as a group, all CCHFV+ patients’ MMP and TIMP-1 levels were significantly higher than control levels. However, with the exception of MMP-2, that was nearly equivalent, and MMP-7, which was significantly lower in the convalescent group, all other MMPs were significantly elevated even in convalescent compared to control group [82]. More recently, Pollock et al. created phage-antibody-barcoded antibodies to probe the cell surface proteome [83]. Their analyses focused on application to cancer cells, but this strategy likely has broad applicability in other systems.
Modeling tick vaccines: a key tool to improve protection efficacy
Published in Expert Review of Vaccines, 2020
José de la Fuente, Agustin Estrada-Peña, Marinela Contreras
In this section, we will use as a proof-of-concept the development of vaccination strategies for the control of a potentially lethal tick-borne zoonosis: the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) transmitted by ticks of the genus Hyalomma. The CCHF affects humans and is caused by the Orthonairovirus CCHF virus (CCHFv) transmitted mainly by tick bites but also by sprays from infected animals (i.e. at abattoirs) [19–21]. The virus has the widest known worldwide distribution of any tick-transmitted virus [45]. Additionally, laboratory studies demonstrated that other tick species of the genera Rhipicephalus and Dermacentor could also be involved in the natural cycle of the virus [45]. The CCHFv is a paradigm in vaccinology due to ongoing efforts to develop vaccines applied to vertebrate animal hosts (and not to humans) and because the challenge that poses to effective vaccination schemes the dual life cycle of the tick vectors (immatures feeding on small animals and adults on ungulates). Additionally, discussions exist about the suitability to include in the same scheme a combination of anti-viral and anti-tick vaccines.