Serosurvey for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus infections in ruminants in Katanga province, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) has been detected in many African countries. Unfortunately, little is known about the current CCHFV situation in most of those countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In over 50 years, three human CCHF cases have been detected in DRC but no seroepidemiological investigation was performed so far. To determine the prevalence of CCHFV-specific antibodies we tested 838 serum samples of cattle, goat and sheep from the southern province Katanga, DRC. The detected seroprevalence in ruminants was 1.6% ranging from 0.4% to 3.4% between the two sampling sites, Kamina and Lubumbashi. The low prevalence indicates only sporadic introduction of CCHFV into this part of the country. DRC is a very large country and the study was performed only at two locations in one province; therefore, the investigations can be only a starting point for further epidemiological activities.