Survey of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Enzootic Focus, Spain, 2011–2015

• Main Authors: Ana Negredo, Miguel Ángel Habela, Eva Ramírez de Arellano, Francisco Diez, Fátima Lasala, Pablo López, Ana Sarriá, Nuria Labiod, Rafael Calero-Bernal, Miguel Arenas, Antonio Tenorio, Agustín Estrada-Peña, Maria Paz Sánchez-Seco
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2019-06-01
• Series: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus; CCHFV; viruses; Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever; Hyalomma spp. ticks; reverse transcription PCR
• Online Access: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/25/6/18-0877_article

During 2011–2015, we conducted a Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) survey in captured ticks that were feeding mainly on wild and domestic ungulates in Spain, where presence of this virus had been reported previously. We detected CCHFV RNA in Hyalomma lusitanicum and H. marginatum ticks for 3 of the 5 years. The rate of infected ticks was 2.78% (44/1,579), which was similar to those for other countries in Europe with endemic foci for CCHFV (Kosovo, Bulgaria, and Albania). These data confirm the established spread of CCHFV into western Europe. Phylogenetic study of the small RNA segment showed Africa-3 clade as the only genotype identified, although we observed cocirculation of genetic variants during 2011 and 2015. We could not rule out genetic reassortments because of lack of sequence data for the medium and large RNA segments of the virus genome.