Epidemiological surveillance of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), 2010-2022.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a zoonotic pathogen whose main vector and reservoir are Hyalomma ticks. The recent emergence of the severe disease in humans caused by this virus in southwestern Europe has alerted sanitary authorities about its public health significance. This study was aimed to assess the role of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) in the epidemiology of CCHFV in the Iberian Peninsula. Of 554 lynxes tested, anti-CCHFV antibodies were detected in 66 animals (11.9 %; 95 % confidence intervals (CI): 9.2-14.6). Age was a risk factor associated with exposure to CCHFV in free-ranging lynxes. Additionally, 63 of the 554 animals were longitudinally surveyed, nine of them seroconverted during the study period. None of the 48 blood samples and 219 feeding ticks (mostly Rhipicephalus pusillus) were positive to CCHFV RNA. The results suggest an endemic, and widespread circulation of CCHFV, particularly in the free-ranging populations, confirming the susceptibility of the Iberian lynx to CCHFV, even though they may only play a limited role in the enzootic cycle of this virus.