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...

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Authors: Sánchez-Sánchez, Marta, Caballero-Gómez, Javier, Contreras, Marinela, Moraga‑Fernández, Alberto, Muñoz-Hernández, Clara, Fernández-Verón, Isabel, Fischer, Kerstin, Bost, Caroline, Castro-Scholten, Sabrina, Baz-Flores, Sara, Rey, Teresa del, Nájera, Fernando, Montoya-Oliver, Ignacio, Salcedo, Javier, Fernández de Mera, Isabel G., García-Bocanegra, Ignacio
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repository:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/407804
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/407804
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:CCHFV
Iberian lynx
Epidemiology
Zoonosis
Ticks
Description
Summary: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.

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