Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) produces a viral hemorrhagic fever syndrome caused by a virus of the Bunyaviridae family. CCHF is endemic to Eastern Europe and the Crimea, the Middle East, western China, Pakistan, and Africa. Domestic livestock (ruminants) and arthropods (ticks, mostly of the Hyalomma genus) are the primary reservoirs.

CCHF is acquired by direct contact with infected animal tissues and body fluids, bites from infected ticks, and by aerosol inhalation. Person-to-person transmission has not been documented.

After an incubation period of 1-3 days after a tick bite or 5-6 days after exposure to infected blood, CCHF produces an initial illness with sudden onset of fever, weakness, malaise, and back pain lasting 2-7 days. It often does not progress beyond this phase, but when it does, it may progress to fulminant hepatitis, jaundice, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), hemorrhage, shock, and death. Asymptomatic and mild infections occur often, but the mortality rate of the hemorrhagic form is 20%-50%.

At present, no vaccine is available.

Occupations at higher risk for contracting CCHF include workers from the livestock and agricultural industries, slaughterhouse workers, veterinarians, hunters, campers, hikers, and farmers.