TY - JOUR AU - Sánchez-Seco, María Paz AU - Sierra, María José AU - Estrada-Peña, Agustín AU - Valcárcel, Félix AU - Molina, Ricardo AU - de Arellano, Eva Ramírez AU - Olmeda, Angeles Sonia AU - San Miguel, Lucía García AU - Jiménez, Maribel AU - Romero, Luis AU - Negredo, Anabel T1 - Widespread Detection of Multiple Strains of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Ticks, Spain T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2022 VL - 28 IS - 2 SP - 394 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Human cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) were first detected in Spain in 2016. National human and animal health authorities organized a large, multidisciplinary study focusing on ticks as sentinels to determine the nationwide distribution of ticks with CCHF virus. Ticks were collected from animals and vegetation, samples pooled (12,584 ticks; 4,556 pools), and molecular methods used to look for the virus. We detected the virus in 135 pools from most of the regions studied, indicating that it is widespread in Spain. We found sequences of CCHF virus genotypes I, III, and IV in the tick species collected, most commonly in Hyalomma lusitanicum, suggesting this tick has a prominent role in the virus’s natural cycle. The red deer (Cervus elaphus) was the host that most frequently yielded positive ticks. Our study highlights the need for larger studies in Spain to ascertain the complete risk to public health. KW - Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever KW - hemorrhagic fever infections KW - Hyalomma lusitanicum KW - arboviruses KW - tick-borne viruses KW - surveillance KW - genetic variability KW - viruses KW - Spain KW - vector-borne infections KW - zoonoses DO - 10.3201/eid2802.211308 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/2/21-1308_article ER - End of Reference