A serosurvey of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in dairy cattle in Iran.

A seroepidemiological survey to determine the prevalence of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus among dairy cattle in Iran was carried out during 2006 and 2008. Blood samples were collected from 876 animals in five different provinces of the country. Sera were tested by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantitative determination of antibodies to CCHF virus. Serological evidence of infection was noted in 52 (5.9%) of 876 dairy cattle. Antibody prevalence increased with age; 78.8% seroprevalence in cattle older than 3 years versus 21.2% in animals less than 2 years old. There was a difference between provinces representing north-east (11.7%) and east (2%) of Iran.