SEROPREVALENCE OF CRIMEAN-CONGO HAEMORRHAGIC FEVER IN SHEEP AND GOATS IN IRAQ

Abstract

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) causes haemorrhagic disease in human beings with high mortality rate and it is typically asymptomatic in animals. Data for livestock exposure to CCHF and its risk in Mosul, Iraq are scarce. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the seroprevalence of CCHF in sheep and goats and some risk factors for the disease. From April 2019 to October 2019, two hundred blood samples (from 120 sheep and 80 goats) were collected from privately-owned farms located in different parts of Mosul city. Specific IgG antibodies against CCHF virus were examined using indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay kit (I-ELISA). The results revealed an overall prevalence rate of 14%, 19.16% and 6.25% in sheep and goats respectively. Significantly (P≤0.05) higher prevalence was recorded in imported sheep (23.3%) compared with the local sheep breed (6.66%), as well significant (P≤0.05) variations of risk between tick-infested and tick-free animals. CCHF detected in sheep and goats constitutes a risk to public health in Mosul city, Iraq. More studies are recommended to further investigate the disease in other animal species.