Healthcare-associated Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Turkey, 2002-2014: a multicentre retrospective cross-sectional study

Leblebicioglu, Hakan/0000-0002-6033-8543; Fletcher, Tom/0000-0002-3712-415X; Beeching, Nicholas/0000-0002-7019-8791 WOS: 000375399900025 PubMed: 26806137 Healthcare-related transmission of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a well-recognized hazard. We report a multicentre retrospective cross-sectional study undertaken in Turkey in 2014 in nine hospitals, regional reference centres for CCHF, covering the years 2002 to 2014 inclusive. Data were systematically extracted from charts of all personnel with a reported health care injury/accident related to CCHF. Blood samples were tested for CCHF IgM/IgG by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and/or viral nucleic acid detection by PCR after the injury. Fifty-one healthcare-related exposures were identified. Twenty-five (49%) of 51 resulted in laboratory-confirmed infection, with a 16% (4/25) overall mortality. The main route of exposure was needlestick injury in 32/51 (62.7%). A potential benefit of post-exposure prophylaxis with ribavirin was identified. (C) 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust; UK Ministry of Defence; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHRHPRU) in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections Financial support was received from Wellcome Trust and the UK Ministry of Defence (to TF) and the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHRHPRU) in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, a partnership between the University of Liverpool, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Public Health England (PHE) (to NJB). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Turkish Ministry of Health, the NHS, the NIHR, the Department of Health or Public Health England. All authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.