Suspected Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever cases in Albania

Anna Papa1, Silvia Bino, Evangelia Papadimitriou

  • 1A' Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. annap@med.auth.gr

During 2003 to 2006 samples from 34 Albanian patients with suspected Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) were tested by serology and PCR for CCHF virus; negative samples were further tested for hantaviruses, Leptospira spp. and Rickettsia spp. CCHF virus was detected in 38.2% of cases, hantaviruses in 11.7%, and leptospirosis and rickettsiosis were diagnosed in 29.4% and 2.9% of cases, respectively. There is a seasonal and clinical overlapping among the 4 diseases in Albania, suggesting that testing for these agents is necessary in cases with fever and haemorrhagic manifestations.

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