Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) was confirmed to be the cause of a previously undiagnosed outbreak in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India on January 18th. This is the first confirmed report of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in India. To date, 5 cases have been confirmed, including 3 deaths (a female patient, an attending physician, and an intensive care nurse). The two other patients include another nurse and the husband of the first patient. Previously, serious outbreaks through nosocomial infection have been recorded, and therefore proper control measures must be utilized. Ticks collected from the Ahmedabad area were collected and testing showed “high quantities” of CCHF virus. It is likely that the virus is present in ticks and other animals (including cattle) throughout Northern India, as they can be infected but do not die from the disease. If the virus is shown to be present in animals such as cattle, the virus could have spread to humans from cutting infected meat. The Gujarat government has been warned to be on the lookout for additional cases.
