Cross-sectional survey of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in the sultanate of Oman

Abstract

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne hemorrhagic disease caused primarily by a zoonotic virus. The disease may cause a fatal hemorrhagic illness in human; however, CCHF is asymptomatic in infected animals. After the recent reports of CCHF in Oman, a cross-sectional survey was conducted during 2013 to 2014 to study the prevalence in livestock and ticks in order to assess the potential risk of emergence. 1289 serum samples were collected from different domestic animals, and tested by two types of modified ELISA (Indirect and competitive ELISA) for detection of CCHF specific immunoglobulin G (IgG). A prevalence of 7.1% positive serum samples was recorded. Highest individual prevalence was recorded in cattle (17.5%) followed by camels (15.7 %), goat (4.8%) and sheep (4.3%). Moreover, 174 ticks were also collected from 179 location. In total, 9 tick samples were found positive for CCHF virus by Antigen-capture ELISA test and RT-PCR which represents 5.1%. Moreover, the concomitant findings of positive sera for animals and detection of CCHF virus was reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This study aims to estimate the disease distribution in livestock in Oman, identify areas under high risk, and contemplate a comprehensive control strategy. Key words: Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, virus, survey, livestock, ticks, Oman.