Risk factors for Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) virus exposure in farming communities in Uganda

Atim, Stella; Ashraf, Shirin; Belij‐Rammerstorfer, Sandra; Ademun, Anna R.; Vudriko, Patrick; Nakayiki, Teddy; Niebel, Marc; Shepherd, James G.; Balinandi, Stephen; Nakanjako, Gladys; Abaasa, Andrew; Johnson, Paul C. D.; Odongo, Steven; Bahati, Milton; Kaleebu, Pontiano; Lutwama, Julius J.; Masembe, Charles; Lambe, Teresa; Thomson, Emma C.; Tweyongyere, Robert

doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2022.09.007

Cited by 15 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Importantly, CCHFV was not restricted only to the known high-risk cattle corridor areas of Uganda but was also detected in Arua district, previously considered as a low-risk area. This finding indicates that CCHFV may be underestimated as a cause of acute illness in areas of Uganda outside the cattle corridor, a finding supported by a high seroprevalence in farmers and domestic animals in the same areas (29). We also detected 16 tick pools (derived from Amblyomma (n=5) and Rhipicephalus (n=11)), mostly concentrated in Arua district (n=15/16), that tested positive for Dugbe virus.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…The virus has been described in Europe (it is also known as Alongshan virus in Russia and Finland) (20, 21), and more recently in Kenya in several tick species including R. appendiculatus, R. evertsi evertsi, H. truncatum collected from cattle and sheep, and A.sparsum, A.nuttalli and Amblyoma nymphs collected from tortoises (22). In Uganda, JMTV has also been isolated from non-human primates (colobus monkeys), highlighting the potential risk to primates (23). A probable human infection was described in Jingmen, China (17, 18), and it was also described as a coinfection with CCHFV in a fatal human case in Kosovo (19).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Ticks; a reservoir for virus emergence at the human-livestock interface in Uganda

Atim

Ashraf

Niebel

et al. 2023

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Uganda is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet and a hotspot for virus emergence. In particular, the warm-humid lowlands favour tick population growth with the associated risk of tick-borne disease. The prevalent tick species Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, R. evertsi evertsi and Amblyomma variegatum harbour a diverse range of viruses, from harmless to highly pathogenic. Notably, the orthonairoviruses cause human outbreaks of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) regularly within the cattle corridor of Uganda, a region spanning from the south-west to the north-east of the country. Methods: In the ArboViral Infection (AVI) study, the first to explore the virome of ticks in Uganda using next generation sequencing (NGS), we collected ticks from three geographically diverse areas and subjected these to target-enrichment (TE) NGS. Viral genomes were detected by de novo assembly, mapping and BLASTn. Results: We analyzed a total of 2,754 ticks collected from 31 livestock farms in the districts of Arua, Nakaseke and Lyantonde. These were combined into 219 pools by site of collection and tick species, including R. appendiculatus, R. evertsi evertsi, A. variegatum and Hyalomma rufipes. We detected partial or near-complete viral genomes in 163 tick pools; 110 (67%) of which were from Arua, 39 (24%) from Nakaseke and 12 (7%) from Lyantonde districts. 2 pools (2%) were from Arua/Lyantonde. These included 22 species of virus, representing 15 genera and 9 families, including the Nairoviridae, Retroviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Chuviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Phenuiviridae, Parvoviridae, Poxviridae and Flaviviridae. There were 8 viral species known to be pathogens of humans or animals and 5 highly divergent genomes detected, representing novel virus species. A high abundance of orthonairoviruses was notable, including CCHFV, Dugbe virus and a novel Orthonairovirus species that we have named Macira virus.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ticks; a reservoir for virus emergence at the human-livestock interface in Uganda

Atim

Ashraf

Niebel

et al. 2023

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…We used a commercial CCHF ELISA previously optimized to reduce cross-specific results. Nevertheless, we have previously shown this assay to exhibit cross-reactivity with antibodies targeting the related Dugbe and Nairobi sheep disease orthonairoviruses [ 17 ]. We have also detected these viruses in Uganda by sequencing of ticks (less frequently than CCHFV) but did not detect them in our study in Lyantonde.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Livestock ticks were collected as described previously [ 17 ] from half of the body of domestic animals, while environmental ticks were collected by both dragging and flagging methods. Briefly, ticks were transported in 70% ethanol for identification at the species level using morphological keys [ 18 , 19 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in livestock following a confirmed human case in Lyantonde district, Uganda

et al. 2023

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral infection, characterized by haemorrhagic fever in humans and transient asymptomatic infection in animals. It is an emerging human health threat causing sporadic outbreaks in Uganda. We conducted a detailed outbreak investigation in the animal population following the death from CCHF of a 42-year-old male cattle trader in Lyantonde district, Uganda. This was to ascertain the extent of CCHF virus (CCHFV) circulation among cattle and goats and to identify affected farms and ongoing increased environmental risk for future human infections. Methods We collected blood and tick samples from 117 cattle and 93 goats, and tested these for anti-CCHFV antibodies and antigen using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and target enrichment next generation sequencing. Results CCHFV-specific IgG antibodies were detected in 110/117 (94.0%) cattle and 83/93 (89.3%) goats. Animal seropositivity was independently associated with female animals (AOR = 9.42, P = 0.002), and animals reared under a pastoral animal production system (AOR = 6.02, P = 0.019] were more likely to be seropositive than tethered or communally grazed animals. CCHFV was detected by sequencing in Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks but not in domestic animals. Conclusion This investigation demonstrated very high seroprevalence of CCHFV antibodies in both cattle and goats in farms associated with a human case of CCHF in Lyantonde. Therefore, building surveillance programs for CCHF around farms in this area and the Ugandan cattle corridor is indicated, in order to identify opportunities for case prevention and control. Graphical Abstract

show abstract

“…Following a bite from an infected tick, the infection can establish in the animal with brief illness. The Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus can then be passed on to the tick which can in turn pass the virus to human or other animals [1][2][3][4][5][6][7].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever: An Endemic Sporadic Zoonotic Viral Infection in Uganda

2022

Microbiol Immunol Pathol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background and AimCrimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral zoonotic disease caused by Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), a member of the genus Nairovirus in the family Bunyaviridae and order Bunyavirales. CCHF is typically asymptomatic in animals but can be highly fatal in humans approaching case fatality rate of approximately 30%. The disease is distributed in many countries of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and south-eastern Europe. As the distribution of CCHFV coincides with the distribution of its main vector, Ixodid (hard) ticks of the genus Hyalomma, both a reservoir and a vector for the CCHF virus; the spread of infected ticks into new, unaffected areas facilitates the spread of the virus. Numerous wild and domestic animals, such as cattle, goats, sheep and hares, serve as amplifying hosts for the virus. Transmission to humans occurs through contact with infected ticks or animal blood. CCHF can be transmitted from one infected human to another by contact with infectious blood or body fluids. Documented spread of CCHF has also occurred in hospitals due to improper sterilization of medical equipment, reuse of injection needles, and contamination of medical supplies. Occupational groups with an elevated risk of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever include farmers, shepherds, veterinarians, abattoir workers, healthcare personnel and laboratory workers, as well as anyone at elevated risk of exposure to ticks. Seasonality can result from seasonal changes in tick numbers or increased human exposure to slaughtered livestock. The case fatality rate is thought to be approximately 5-30% in most instances, although rates as high as 80% have been reported occasionally in limited outbreaks. Factors such as the availability and quality of healthcare, virus dose, route of exposure, coinfections, and possibly the viral strain, are thought to influence mortality.

show abstract

Risk factors for Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) virus exposure in farming communities in Uganda

Cited by 15 publications

References 25 publications

Ticks; a reservoir for virus emergence at the human-livestock interface in Uganda

Ticks; a reservoir for virus emergence at the human-livestock interface in Uganda

Prevalence of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in livestock following a confirmed human case in Lyantonde district, Uganda

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever: An Endemic Sporadic Zoonotic Viral Infection in Uganda

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About