Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever

Last reviewed: 24 Feb 2023
Last updated: 21 Jun 2022

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • presence of risk factors
  • fever
  • myalgia
  • malaise
  • bleeding
  • macular or petechial rash
More key diagnostic factors

Other diagnostic factors

  • headache
  • nausea
  • abdominal pain
  • hepatomegaly
  • splenomegaly
  • somnolence
  • diarrhoea
  • hypotension
  • conjunctivitis
  • arthralgia
Other diagnostic factors

Risk factors

  • residency in or recent travel to CCHF-endemic region
  • history of tick exposure
  • contact with infected body fluids
  • occupational exposure
  • contact with infected animals
  • unprotected sexual contact with an infected individual
More risk factors

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
  • malaria investigations
More 1st investigations to order

Investigations to consider

  • serology
  • FBC
  • coagulation studies
  • LFTs
  • serum creatinine and urea
  • urinalysis
  • serum electrolytes
  • lactate dehydrogenase
  • creatinine phosphokinase
More investigations to consider

Treatment algorithm

INITIAL

potential exposure

ACUTE

suspected or confirmed infection

Contributors

Authors

Onder Ergonul, MD, MPH

Professor

Infectious Diseases and Public Health

Koç University School of Medicine

Chair

lnfectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Department

American Hospital

President

Turkish Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Istanbul

Turkey

Disclosures

OE is the author of references cited in this topic.

Peer reviewers

Vanessa Raabe, MD, MSc

Adult and Pediatric Infectious Disease Fellow

Emory University

Atlanta

GA

Disclosures

VR declares that she has no competing interests.

Tom Fletcher, MBChB, MRCP, DTM&H

Wellcome Trust/MoD Research Fellow

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Liverpool

UK

Disclosures

TF receives Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever research funding from the Wellcome Trust and UK Surgeon General. He is a member of the WHO secretariat for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever guideline development.

Ayşe Erbay, MD, MPH

Professor of Infectious Diseases

Faculty of Medicine

Bozok University

Yozgat

Turkey

Disclosures

AE declares that she has no competing interests.

  • Differentials

    • Malaria infection
    • Ebola virus infection
    • Lassa fever
    More Differentials
  • Guidelines

    • Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever: origins, reservoirs, transmission and guidelines
    • CDC health information for international travel (Yellow Book): viral hemorrhagic fevers
    More Guidelines
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