Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Tajikistan

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a pathogenic tick-borne disease caused by a single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus classified within the Nairovirus genus of the family Bunyaviridae. Cases of CCHF have been registered in Tajikistan since the disease was first brought to medical attention in 1944. However, historical Tajik manuscripts describe the features of hemorrhagic fever associated with ticks, indicating that the disease might have been known in this region for many years before it was officially characterized. Here we review the historical context of CCHF in Tajikistan, much of which has been described over several decades in the Russian literature, and include reports of recent outbreaks in Tajikistan.