Congo/Crimean haemorrhagic fever in Iraq: a seroepidemiological survey.

A seroepidemiological survey to determine the prevalence of Congo/Crimean haemorrhagic fever virus activity in Iraq was carried out during 1979 and 1980. Sera were collected from 1680 people including contacts of known patients, abattoir workers and animal husbandry workers in various parts of the country. These were tested by complement fixation and agar gel precipitin tests.

Congo/Crimean haemorrhagic fever in Iraq.

Congo/Crimean haemorrhagic fever was recognized for the first time in Iraq in 1979. The first case was reported on 3 September 1979 and since then a further 9 patients have been investigated. Eight patients gave a history of previous contact with sheep or cattle, while 2 patients, a resident doctor and an auxiliary nurse, acquired their infections in hospital by direct contact with patients.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in Iraq: isolation, identification and electron microscopy.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus was isolated for the first time in Iraq from the blood of three patients. It caused a cytopathic effect in lamb kidney and BHK-21 cell cultures. The virus particles were spherical, enveloped and had 90 nm in diameter similar particles were found in ultrathin sections of the liver from two fatal cases.