Molecular Detection of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Ticks in Qom Province, Iran, 2011-2012

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a zoonosis caused by a Nairovirus of the family Bunyaviridae. Infection is transmitted to humans mostly by Hyalomma ticks. This study was conducted to determine the rate of CCHFV infection in ticks in Qom province of Iran. In this study, Reverse transcription – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect partial sequence of the CCHF small (S) genome segment in ticks. CCHFV genome was found in 7.9% of hard ticks. All positive ticks were from Hyalomma genus and Hyalomma marginatum species. We were not able to find virus in in Hy. anatolicum, Hy. schulzei, Hy. dromedarii, Rhipicephalus Sanguineus and Argas persicus. Results exhibited that Hyalomma marginatum is the main vector in the study area.