Bi-annual surge of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF): a five-year experience.

Objective: To determine the peak time of outbreak of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) and to highlight the disease-specific areas in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.

Design: A hospital-based case-series study.

Place And Duration: A five-year study was conducted by the Department of Pathology in collaboration with the Department of Medicine, Sandeman Provincial Teaching Hospital, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan, from 1 March 1997 to 28 February 2002.

Patients And Methods: A total of 135 cases were included in the study based on a high index of suspicion of CCHF. The mean age was 33.5+/-18.7 years. Two sets of blood samples were drawn on admission; one set was sent for urgent routine investigations while the other was sent to CDC, Atlanta, USA, for confirmation.

Results: The study showed that CCHF was more common between March and May and again, between August and October, depicting a bi-annual surge. Out of 135 suspected cases, 83 (61.4%) were confirmed to have CCHF and were given platelet concentrate and ribavirin. It ws observed that CCHF was more common in specific areas of the province.

Conclusions: It is essential to raise the level of knowledge regarding CCHF, especially in disease-specific areas, focussing on the peak outbreak periods.