Ribavirin: An effective drug for treatment of children with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever: A seven-years experience

Abstract

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne disease caused by the arbovirus which is a member of the Nairovirus genus and has a high mortality rate if the patients don't take treatment. This study was conducted to detect the clinical outcomes of treatment with oral ribavirin in children with CCHF. In this study, we evaluated the recovery rate and mortality rate among children with confirmed CCHF, who were treated with oral ribaririn within the three days of onset of disease and the patients who were treated after this time or had not been treated. Out of 29 children with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (18 Male, 11 Female with age range 5 to 17 years) 25 patients had been treated by oral ribavirin within the initial three days, two patients were treated after three days of the onset of disease and two cases had not been treated with ribavin. Nearly all the patients except two children were treated with ribavirin. Both these two children not treated with ribavirin died. One patients who was treated six days after the onset of disease was expired. Sixteen percent of children who were treated during the initial 72 h of disease died. Fatality rate was 24.1% in all of the patients. The recovery rate was higher in the children who were treated during the initial 3 days than children who were treated after this time or were not treated (84 versus 25%). We conclude that oral ribavirin is an effective treatment for children with CCHF, especially when it is used within 72 h of the onset of disease and as soon as it is possible. © 2006 Asian Network for Scientific Information.