Epidemiologic, clinical and laboratory criteria and final diagnoses in PCR negative suspected Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever patients
Ömer Karaşahin1, Emine Füsun Karaşahin21Department Of Infectious Diseases And Clinical Microbiology, Erzurum Regional Training And Research Hospital, Erzurum, Turkey2Department Of Public Health, Erzurum Provincial Health Directorate Presidency Of Public Health Services, Erzurum, Turkey
INTRODUCTION: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) disease can be confused with many diseases due to flu-like nonspecific initial symptoms and laboratory findings in endemic areas. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the final diagnosis of patients hospitalized with suspected CCHF diagnosis, but without CCHF virus detection.
METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted between March 2016 and September 2022. We included 662 patients who met the definition of potential cases according to the CCHF case definition. The baseline symptoms, laboratory findings and epidemiologic characteristics of patients in whom CCHF virus was not detected were compared with patients in whom the diagnosis of CCHF disease was confirmed, and then grouped together with their final diagnosis.
RESULTS: There was no difference in baseline complaints, living in a rural area and frequency of thrombocytopenia in those without CCHF virus compared to CCHF patients. Of these patients, 80.1% were diagnosed with infectious diseases and 19.9% with non-infectious diseases. The most common infectious diseases were respiratory tract infections (22.2%) and brucellosis (17.7%); non-infectious diseases were hematologic diseases (8.2%).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In endemic areas, the presence of fever and thrombocytopenia is not sufficient for the diagnosis of CCHF. Reference methods should be used rapidly for the definitive diagnosis of CCHF. After CCHF is excluded, it is important to know the infectious and non-infectious diseases in the differential diagnosis and their frequencies in order to prevent delay in diagnosis and treatment.
Manuscript Language: English