Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a tick-borne viral disease reported from more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia, South-East Europe, and the Middle East. The majority of human cases are workers in livestock industry, agriculture, slaughterhouses, and veterinary practice. Nosocomial transmission is also well described. Clinical manifestations are nonspecific and symptoms typically include high fever, headache, malaise, arthralgia, myalgia, nausea, abdominal pain, and nonbloody diarrhea. Patients may show signs of progressive hemorrhagic diathesis. Laboratory abnormalities may include anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, increased AST/ALT levels, and prolonged prothrombin, bleeding, and activated partial thromboplastin times. Diagnostic methods include antibody detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, virus isolation, antigen detection, and polymerase chain reaction. The mainstay of treatment of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is supportive, with careful maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance, circulatory volume, and blood pressure. The Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus is susceptible to ribavirin in vitro. There is no controlled study evaluating oral versus intravenous ribavirin in treating Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever patients, but few studies have evaluated oral ribavirin. This article reviews the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and prognosis of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever with a special focus on oral ribavirin as a choice of medical treatment.