Cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in North Macedonia, July to August 2023

Dejan Jakimovski; Krsto Grozdanovski; Goran Rangelov; Verica Pavleva; Pavle Banović; Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz; Katerina Spasovska

doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.34.2300409

Cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in North Macedonia, July to August 2023

Euro Surveill. 2023 Aug;28(34):2300409. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.34.2300409.

Authors

Dejan Jakimovski^{1

2

3}, Krsto Grozdanovski^{1

2}, Goran Rangelov², Verica Pavleva⁴, Pavle Banović^{5

6

3}, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz⁷, Katerina Spasovska^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia.
² University Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Conditions, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia.
³ These authors contributed equally to the work and share first authorship.
⁴ Infectious Disease Department, Clinical Hospital Shtip, Shtip, Republic of North Macedonia.
⁵ Clinic for Lyme Borreliosis and Other Tick-Borne Diseases, Pasteur Institute Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
⁶ Department of Microbiology with Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
⁷ Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France.

PMID: 37616118
PMCID: PMC10451013
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.34.2300409

Abstract

The last report of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in North Macedonia was more than 50 years ago in the northwest. We report on a fatal CCHF case following a Hyalomma tick bite in the east of the country in July 2023. Tracing of 67 contacts identified CCHF in one healthcare worker (HCW) providing care for the patient. Monitoring of contacts is concluded (including further 11 HCW contacts), thus far 28 days after the death of the case no additional cases were identified.

Keywords: CCHF; CCHFV; Hyalomma; North Macedonia.

MeSH terms

Animals
Contact Tracing
Health Personnel
Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo*
Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean* / diagnosis
Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean* / epidemiology
Humans
Ixodidae*
Republic of North Macedonia / epidemiology