Serological and Virological Evidence of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus Circulation in the Human Population of Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol. 10; no. 12; p. e0005126
• Main Authors: Bukbuk, David N, Dowall, Stuart D, Lewandowski, Kuiama, Bosworth, Andrew, Baba, Saka S, Varghese, Anitha, Watson, Robert J, Bell, Andrew, Atkinson, Barry, Hewson, Roger
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 07-12-2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Analysis; Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Arachnids; Biology and Life Sciences; Cattle; Colleges & universities; Diagnosis; Disease; Fever; Funding; Health aspects; Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo - classification; Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo - genetics; Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo - immunology; Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo - isolation & purification; Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean - blood; Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean - epidemiology; Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean - virology; Hemorrhagic fevers; Human populations; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin M - blood; Immunoglobulins; Laboratories; Local government; Medicine and health sciences; Nigeria - epidemiology; Nosocomial infections; People and Places; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Physiological aspects; Polymerase chain reaction; Population; Public health; Research and Analysis Methods; Risk factors; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Tropical diseases; Viruses; Zoonoses; Nigeria; United Kingdom > UK; Africa
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005126

Despite several studies on the seroprevalence of antibodies against Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever virus (CCHFV) from humans and cattle in Nigeria, detailed investigation looking at IgG and IgM have not been reported. Additionally, there have been no confirmed cases of human CCHFV infection reported from Nigeria.
Samples from sera (n = 1189) collected from four Local Government Areas in Borno State (Askira/Uba, Damboa, Jere and Maiduguri) were assessed for the presence of IgG and IgM antibodies. The positivity rates for IgG and IgM were 10.6% and 3.5%, respectively. Additionally, sera from undiagnosed febrile patients (n = 380) were assessed by RT-PCR assay for the presence of CCHFV RNA. One positive sample was characterised by further by next generation sequencing (NGS) resulting in complete S, M and L segment sequences.
This article provides evidence for the continued exposure of the human population of Nigeria to CCHFV. The genomic analysis provides the first published evidence of a human case of CCHFV in Nigeria and its phylogenetic context.