Distribution of Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in ticks of the Turkestan Region of Kazakhstan based on PCR surveillance data in 2025

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Aikimbayev National Research Center for Especially Dangerous Infections, QazBioPharm National Holding, Almaty, Kazakhstan

10.22124/cjes.2025.9315

Abstract

Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a natural focal zoonotic infection of high epidemiological significance for the southern regions of Kazakhstan. This study aimed to detect Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) RNA in ixodid ticks collected in the Turkestan region in spring 2025 using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). A total of 468 ticks were examined and grouped into 96 pools according to species and collection site. CCHFV RNA was detected in four pools: three pools of Hyalomma asiaticum collected from small ruminants in the Sozak district and one pool of Hyalomma scupense collected from cattle in the Maktaaral district. The minimum infection rate (MIR) was 8.55 per 1,000 examined ticks (equivalent to 0.855%), indicating the activity of natural CCHFV foci in the surveyed locations with a relatively low intensity of virus circulation. Ticks of the genus Hyalomma predominated, accounting for 78.0% of all collected specimens, which is consistent with their leading role in the maintenance and transmission of CCHFV in endemic regions. The obtained results highlight the necessity of regular entomological and molecular surveillance within the One Health framework for early risk assessment and evidence-based planning of preventive measures.

Keywords

References

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Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences
Volume 23, Issue 5
Special issue: Biological Researches and Envireonment, Guest Editor: Prof. Hamed Mousavi-Sabet, University of Guilan, Iran
December 2025
Pages 1183-1191

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