CRIMEAN-CONGO HEMORRHAGIC FEVER: REVIEW OF THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION, DISTRIBUTION AREA, VIRUS CHARACTERISTICS, DIAGNOSIS, AND DISEASE PREVENTION

This review article addresses the etiology, epidemiology, distribution of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), and its diagnosis and prevention. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is one of the deadly hemorrhagic fevers endemic in Africa, Asia, and Europe. It is a tick-borne zoonotic viral disease caused by the CCHF virus of the genus Nairovirus, family Bunyaviridae. In Kazakhstan, natural foci of CCHF are located in the Zhambyl, Turkestan, and Kyzylorda regions, as well as the city of Shymkent. In Kazakhstan, 108 confirmed cases of CCHF were registered in humans during the period from 2021 to 2023. The virus genome consists of small (S), medium (M), and large (L) segments, encoding nucleocapsid proteins (N), envelope glycoproteins (G1 and G2), and polymerase complex proteins, respectively. Most human cases were associated with agricultural activities such as animal husbandry, haymaking, and livestock slaughter. Humans are most commonly infected by tick bites. Clinical signs usually indicate the rapid progression of the disease, which is accompanied by bleeding, muscle pain, and fever. Now, there is no specific treatment, and the most important measures are preventive safety practices. For the diagnosis of CCHF, methods such as ELISA, RT-PCR, and real-time RT-PCR are used

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