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Emergence of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Greece

A Papa1, V Dalla, E Papadimitriou

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

Clinical Microbiology and Infection : the Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
|October 23, 2009
PubMed

Insights

The first Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) case in Greece was diagnosed in 2008 using RT-PCR. High viral load and cytokine levels were observed, with the patient succumbing to the infection.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral disease with significant mortality.
  • The emergence of CCHF in new geographical regions poses a public health concern.
  • Understanding the genetic characteristics of local CCHF virus strains is crucial for disease control.

Observation:

  • The first confirmed case of CCHF in Greece occurred in the summer of 2008.
  • Laboratory diagnosis was performed using nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative real-time RT-PCR.
  • The patient presented with a high viral load and elevated cytokine levels by the third day of illness.

Findings:

  • The Greek CCHF virus strain exhibited high sequence identity with other strains found in the Balkan region.
  • The patient unfortunately died 7 days after the onset of symptoms, indicating a severe clinical course.
  • Diagnostic methods confirmed the presence and quantification of the CCHF virus RNA.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the introduction and circulation of CCHF virus in Greece.
  • Genetic relatedness to Balkan strains suggests potential epidemiological links and transmission routes.
  • Early detection and characterization of CCHF are vital for implementing effective public health interventions and managing outbreaks.

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