Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever
Burt FJ; Swanepoel R; Shieh WJ; Smith
JF; Leman PA; Greer PW; Coffield LM;
Rollin PE; Ksiazek TG; Peters CJ; et al.
Immunohistochemical
and in situ localization of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic
fever (CCHF)
virus in human tissues and implications for CCHF
pathogenesis.
Archives of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine, 1997 Aug, 121(8):839-46.
(UI: 97424499)
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Crimean-Congo
hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a potentially
fatal disease that
occurs in parts of Africa, Asia, and eastern Europe, and
that is caused by
a recently emerged bunyavirus. Rapid laboratory diagnosis
of CCHF infection
is essential and is currently performed by virus
isolation and serology.
Histopathologic studies have been limited to a
small number of
cases, and little is known about the cellular tropism of
CCHF virus and the
pathogenesis of this disease. DESIGN: We conducted a
retrospective case
analysis of 12 patients with a diagnosis of CCHF
infection, confirmed
by virus isolation, who were evaluated at the Special
Pathogens Unit,
National Institute for Virology, South Africa. The
clinicopathologic
features of CCHF and the diagnostic role of virus
isolation as compared
with serology, immunohistochemistry, and in situ
hybridization were
evaluated. Additionally, the distribution of CCHF virus
in human tissues
was examined. RESULTS: The clinical and histopathologic
features of CCHF
resemble those of other viral hemorrhagic fevers. Of the
12 patients with
virus isolation-confirmed CCHF infection, 5 were positive
by serology, 10
by immunohistochemistry, and 5 by in situ hybridization.
Immunohistochemistry
and in situ hybridization analyses showed that the
mononuclear phagocytes,
endothelial cells, and hepatocytes are main targets
of infection. Association
of parenchymal necrosis in liver with viral
infection suggests
that cell damage may be mediated by a direct viral
cytopathic effect.
CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of CCHF, suspected by history
and clinical features,
can be supported histopathologically. However, since
the pathologic features
resemble those of other viral hemorrhagic fevers,
an unequivocal diagnosis
can be made only by laboratory tests. The utility
of immunohistochemistry
as a sensitive and rapid diagnostic modality was
established by the
high degree of concordance with virus isolation.
Infection of mononuclear
phagocytes, endothelial cells, and hepatocytes may
play a critical
role in the pathogenesis of CCHF.
Simbu Serogroup
Blacksell SD; Lunt RA; White JR.
Rapid identification
of Australian bunyavirus isolates belonging to the
Simbu serogroup
using indirect ELISA formats.
Journal of Virological
Methods, 1997 Jun, 66(1):123-33.
(UI: 97364120)
Abstract: The Bunyavirus genus, belonging
to the Bunyaviridae family, is
comprised of a large
group of antigenically and geographically disparate
arthropod-borne
viruses of medical and veterinary significance. In
Australia, viruses
belonging to the Simbu serogroup of the Bunyavirus
genus, Akabane,
Tinaroo, Peaton, Aino, Douglas, Thimiri and Facey's Paddock
have been isolated.
In this communication we describe two indirect ELISAs,
referred to as the
Simbu serogroup ELISA (SG-ELISA), and the Simbu typing
ELISA (ST-ELISA),
for the identification of these Simbu serogroup viruses.
Infected cell lysate
antigens prepared from Simbu serogroup virus isolates
were assessed in
the SG-ELISA for reactivity with a mouse monoclonal
antibody (4H9/B11/F1).
The monoclonal antibody reacted strongly with all
Australian members
of Simbu serogroup reference viruses and is proposed for
use as a serogrouping
reagent for Simbu viruses. Furthermore, the ST-ELISA
enabled specific
identification of viruses from within this group by
recognition of characteristic
reaction patterns between infected cell
lysate antigens
and a panel of polyclonal antisera raised to Simbu
serogroup viruses.