Seroprevalence of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Infection in Humans and Domestic Ruminants, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Emerging Infectious Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.3201/eid3204.250969
- PMID
- 41911665
- PMCID
- PMC13094851
- OpenAlex
- W7147572226
- Study type
- Cross-sectional study
- Publisher
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
Substantial viral circulation within agricultural animals indicates persistent environmental maintenance alongside occasional spillover events affecting people. These observations underscore the importance of maintaining systematic monitoring protocols to evaluate ongoing exposure dynamics.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
This investigation quantified antibody exposure to a specific arbovirus among human populations and livestock across a geographically expansive African nation.
Study design
Researchers utilized a cross-sectional seroepidemiological framework to analyze stored biological specimens. Laboratory screening employed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays targeting viral structural proteins.
Population and setting
The analytical cohort comprised archived serum specimens sourced from twenty-five provincial regions within the Democratic Republic of the Congo, encompassing both human donors and domestic ruminant herds.
Main findings
Serological screening identified a 4.4 percent antibody rate in humans and a 28.9 percent rate in livestock. Elevated infection markers demonstrated statistical associations with advancing age, tropical monsoon climates, mountain savanna landscapes, and altitudes surpassing six hundred meters.
Public-health relevance
Substantial viral circulation within agricultural animals indicates persistent environmental maintenance alongside occasional spillover events affecting people. These observations underscore the importance of maintaining systematic monitoring protocols to evaluate ongoing exposure dynamics.
Important limitations
The retrospective examination of preserved samples and the cross-sectional methodology restrict temporal resolution and direct transmission pathway identification.
GIDS interpretation
This publication supplies foundational serological mapping for a neglected vector-borne pathogen across multiple administrative jurisdictions. Documented ecological and demographic correlations establish reference parameters for future risk stratification efforts. The data contextualizes routine monitoring frameworks without implying real-time outbreak escalation.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 11 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.