Report of 2 cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in children

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an acute viral illness which is transmitted to humans by infected ticks or direct contact with blood or tissues of vieremic domestic livestock and rarely by nosocomial transmission. Since CCHF is a zoonotic infection, it is more common among livestock handler and slaughterhouse workers. Children are rarely affected by CCHF except in familial outbreaks. We present 2 children from Ahvaz who developed fever, decreased level of consciousness and bleeding tendency after a suspicious tick bite. Both of them received a ten-day course of oral ribavirin and discharged from hospital with good general condition. Serologic surveys detected IgM and IgG antibodies against CCHF.However, CCHF is a rare childhood disease, because of its high mortality rate, it should be considered in any child with Fever, decreased level of consciousness and bleeding tendency and the treatment should be promptly be started with proper antiviral therapy.