Karanam SK, Nagvishnu K, Uppala PK, Edhi S, Varri SR. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever: Pathogenesis, transmission and public health challenges. World J Virol 2025; 14(1): 100003 [DOI: 10.5501/wjv.v14.i1.100003]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Praveen Kumar Uppala, PhD, Assistant Professor, Research Fellow, Department of Pharmacology, Maharajah's College of Pharmacy, Phool Baugh, Vizianagaram 535002, Andhra Pradesh, India. praveen.chintu32@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Virology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Sita Kumari Karanam, Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Maharajah’s College of Pharmacy, Vizianagaram 535002, Andhra Pradesh, India
Kandra Nagvishnu, Department of Pharmacology, Santhiram Medical College and General Hospital, Nandyal 518501, Andhra Pradesh, India
Praveen Kumar Uppala, Department of Pharmacology, Maharajah's College of Pharmacy, Vizianagaram 535002, Andhra Pradesh, India
Sandhya Edhi, Department of Pharmacy, Maharajah's College of Pharmacy, Vizianagaram 535002, Andhra Pradesh, India
Srinivasa Rao Varri, Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Maharajah's College of Pharmacy, Vizianagaram 535002, Andhra Pradesh, India
Author contributions: Karanam SK was responsible for drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content and manuscript final review; Nagvishnu K was responsible for concept, acquisition of the data, and analysis interpretation of the data; Uppala PK was responsible for design of the study, the conception, preparation of final manuscript; Edhi S was responsible for design of the study acquisition of the data, and analysis; Varri SR was responsible for literature search, acquisition of the data, and analysis; all of the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript. All authors have contributed to this work based solely on scientific and academic merit, without any influence from commercial, personal, political, intellectual, or religious interests.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Praveen Kumar Uppala, PhD, Assistant Professor, Research Fellow, Department of Pharmacology, Maharajah's College of Pharmacy, Phool Baugh, Vizianagaram 535002, Andhra Pradesh, India. praveen.chintu32@gmail.com
Received: August 5, 2024 Revised: October 11, 2024 Accepted: November 5, 2024 Published online: March 25, 2025 Processing time: 114 Days and 20.7 Hours
Abstract
The dangerous Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), an encapsulated negative-sense RNA virus of the family Nairoviridae, is transmitted from person to person via ticks. With a case fatality rate between 10% to 40%, the most common ways that the disease may spread to humans are via tick bites or coming into touch with infected animals' blood or tissues. Furthermore, the transfer of bodily fluids between individuals is another potential route of infection. There is a wide range of symptoms experienced by patients throughout each stage, from myalgia and fever to extreme bruising and excess bleeding. Tick management measures include minimising the spread of ticks from one species to another and from people to animals via the use of protective clothing, repellents, and proper animal handling. In order to prevent the spread of illness, healthcare workers must adhere to stringent protocols. Despite the lack of an authorised vaccine, the main components of treatment now consist of preventative measures and supportive care, which may include the antiviral medicine ribavirin. We still don't know very much about the virus's mechanisms, even though advances in molecular virology and animal models have improved our understanding of the pathogenesis of CCHFV. A critical need for vaccination that is both safe and effective, as well as for quick diagnosis and efficient treatments to lessen the disease's impact in areas where it is most prevalent. Important steps towards lowering Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever mortality and morbidity rates were to anticipatethe future availability of immunoglobulin products.
Core Tip: This review provides a comprehensive overview of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a severe tick-borne viral disease with significant public health implications. The article discusses the virus's transmission dynamics, clinical manifestations, current diagnostic techniques, and available treatments, including the use of antiviral therapy. It emphasizes the urgent need for vaccine development, better diagnostic tools, and efficient therapies. By addressing gaps in knowledge and highlighting the importance of a one health approach, this review serves as a critical resource for researchers and healthcare professionals seeking to improve CCHF control and prevention strategies.
