Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 59 (5), 326-328, 2006
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Short Communication
Seroprevalence of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Sistan-va-Baluchestan Province of Iran
Shahrokh Izadi, Kourosh Holakouie-Naieni*, Seyed Reza Majdzadeh1, Sadegh Chinikar2, Abolhassan Nadim1, Fatemeh Rakhshani and Badakhshan Hooshmand3
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan; 1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Institute of Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; 2Arbovirus Laboratory, Pasteur Institute of Iran; and 3Zoonosis Department, Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education of I.R. Iran, Tehran, Iran
(Received February 6, 2006. Accepted June 23, 2006)
*Corresponding author: Mailing address: P.O. Box 6446, Tehran 14155, I.R. Iran. Tel: +98-21-895-1402, Fax: +98-21-895-1397, E-mail: holakoik@hotmail.com
SUMMARY: During the years 2000 to 2004, of 248 serologically confirmed cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) that occurred in several parts of Iran, 169 were reported from Sistan-va-Baluchestan province. To assess the seroprevalence of CCHF virus infection within the Zahedan and Zabol districts of the Sistan-va-Baluchestan province in Iran, 300 subjects were sampled from the general population. In addition to blood sampling, a questionnaire was completed for every subject. All but just 3 of our 300 sampled subjects participated in blood sampling, and just 7 out of the 297 serum samples were found to be IgG ELISA positive. The point estimate of the seroprevalence was 0.024 (95% confidence interval: 0.003 - 0.044). A history of keeping livestock in houses (even for short periods) showed an association with seropositivity (P = 0.018). It seems that even occasional contact with livestock could be effective in transmission of the virus.