Bi-annual surge of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF): a five-year experience

Objective: To determine the peak time of outbreak of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) and to highlight the disease-specific areas in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Design: A hospital-based case-series study. Place and Duration: A five-year study was conducted by the Department of Pathology in collaboration with the Department of Medicine, Sandeman Provincial Teaching Hospital, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan, from 1 March 1997 to 28 February 2002. Patients and methods: A total of 135 cases were included in the study based on a high index of suspicion of CCHF, The mean age was 33.5 +/- 18.7 years. Two sets of blood samples were drawn on admission; one set was sent for urgent routine investigations while the other was sent to CDC, Atlanta, USA, for confirmation. Results: The study showed that CCHF was more common between March and May and again, between August and October, depicting a bi-annual surge. Out of 135 suspected cases, 83 (61.4%) were confirmed to have CCHF and were given platelet concentrate and ribavirin. It was observed that CCHF was more common in specific areas of the province. Conclusions: It is essential to raise the level of knowledge regarding CCHF, especially in disease-specific areas, focussing on the peak outbreak periods. (C) 2004 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.