Zia A, Khalil AT, Alam N, Khan AQ, Khan MA, Yosafzai Y, Ali A, Ullah I, Wazir AR. Prevalence of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Travel Med Infect Dis 2024;
59:102722. [PMID:
38642594 DOI:
10.1016/j.tmaid.2024.102722]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
CCHFV is well recognized as a major public health threat and its prevalence and epidemiological distribution in Pakistan and specifically in KP province is not well documented.
METHODS
We used a gold-standard PCR-based diagnostic assay for confirmation of CCHFV among suspected patients. A total of 150 patients were enrolled from June 2022 to September 2022 and their blood samples were collected for PCR confirmation.
RESULTS
The overall positivity rate for CCHFV was 26.67%, with the virus mostly prevalent in the middle-aged group (21-40 years). In the July of 2022, a significant spike in the prevalence of CCHFV was observed in provincial capital Peshawar with the highest burden (31.57%).
CONCLUSION
Our findings indicate the necessity of strengthening CCHFV monitoring programs and intensifying efforts to identify hotspot regions for effective surveillance and control of CCHFV. The months before the Eid-ul-Adha are crucial in the context of CCHFV control.
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