Potential Movement of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Iraq-the Role of Hyalomma Tick Species and Host Population Dynamics

Potential Movement of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Iraq-the Role of Hyalomma Tick Species and Host Population Dynamics | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Potential Movement of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Iraq-the Role of Hyalomma Tick Species and Host Population Dynamics khalis Hammad Ameen, Ameen Saleh Alyousuf, Blesa Abdulhameed, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5285100/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study is a retrospective and descriptive cross-sectional analysis examining demographic and epidemiological data of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) in Iraq, covering suspected and confirmed cases from January 2018 to December 2023. Utilizing data from the Iraq CDC/zoonotic department, 1006 cases were analyzed, and confirmed via Real-time PCR and ELISA tests at the Central Public Health Laboratory. The study highlights the climatic conditions of Iraq, with its semi-arid and semi-tropical climate influencing disease prevalence. Results indicate a significant gender disparity in CCHFV cases, with 59.4% male and 40.6% female patients, suggesting differing exposure and susceptibility between genders. The age distribution shows higher infection rates among individuals aged 22 to 51, potentially linked to occupational exposure and outdoor activities. A notable increase in reported cases was observed in 2022 and 2023, accounting for 38.0% and 58.6% of total cases, respectively. This surge may be attributed to environmental and socio-economic factors, including climate change, urbanization, and population displacement. Geographic analysis reveals that provinces like Thiqar, Baghdad, Basra, and Misan report higher case numbers, indicating regional hotspots for CCHFV transmission. Risk factor analysis emphasizes the role of direct contact with raw meat, animal slaughtering, and tick bites as significant contributors to infection. The study also identifies key symptoms associated with poor prognoses, such as bleeding from injection sites, body orifices, and echymosis, which are significantly correlated with higher mortality rates. These findings underscore the need for targeted public health interventions, including enhanced surveillance, vector control, and public education, particularly in high-risk regions. Understanding the epidemiology and risk factors of CCHFV is crucial for developing effective prevention and control strategies to mitigate the impact of this disease in Iraq. CCHFV in Iraq Epidemiology Gender Age Risk factors Clinical manifestations Public health Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5285100","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":369443423,"identity":"9c732e04-e6db-482f-b4fd-9304559ac6ef","order_by":0,"name":"khalis Hammad Ameen","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABL0lEQVRIie3Rv2qDQBzA8Z8Iugjdyk+s7StYBJuipa/iIcRFSKbSIYMQsFObVQi0r3BZCt0sB3bpAxy4JEN3J8kgoZe/UFDSsRS/nHKiH447Abq6/mCIIGW+mFjrhxJ6AOrmhbwZLQQORE8B918eIbAjhvaDtKRPx/NsXsPF1Sl7L7wRmpOx/EXh3iWxKtMmYpzlVkYSuHyb9gM3ytFOmeJw+AxJLCvDJnKOviAxSLSIHCNSkMQMHC4lTBDNaiZhmfk13NJiUBm9FZIXplZcWrUTAyMr8xUgYhXFkBIklGlilbid6Gk0FHvBgBZ9+/rxCe0Z0+64n4d20rIX5OFssay9G1oEC76sPPP54+GVlyPXnJywxhPby8NMitd3X1zK9mcdb0t2/Y50dXV1/fe+AdP1ZKG1kH/yAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Al-Qalam University College","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"khalis","middleName":"Hammad","lastName":"Ameen","suffix":""},{"id":369443426,"identity":"eb251a27-4288-4715-8497-9c18ba7a2330","order_by":1,"name":"Ameen Saleh Alyousuf","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Kirkuk","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ameen","middleName":"Saleh","lastName":"Alyousuf","suffix":""},{"id":369443429,"identity":"8f5d9e67-ce15-4e1f-864e-8c869a3f7362","order_by":2,"name":"Blesa Abdulhameed","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Northern Technical University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Blesa","middleName":"","lastName":"Abdulhameed","suffix":""},{"id":369443431,"identity":"c1d6ca2b-ea53-4d22-8ad0-f4e31190ab9c","order_by":3,"name":"Ihab Aakef","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ihab","middleName":"","lastName":"Aakef","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-10-17 20:38:07","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5285100/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5285100/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":67509859,"identity":"26a0d127-0911-4cf5-ad18-cd1dd7299d22","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-10-25 20:31:27","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":381291,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"cchfvtemplate2.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5285100/v1_covered_28d65304-d5d8-45cc-a769-fb8af92e3485.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Potential Movement of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Iraq-the Role of Hyalomma Tick Species and Host Population Dynamics","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"CCHFV in Iraq, Epidemiology, Gender, Age, Risk factors, Clinical manifestations, Public health","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5285100/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5285100/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"This study is a retrospective and descriptive cross-sectional analysis examining demographic and epidemiological data of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) in Iraq, covering suspected and confirmed cases from January 2018 to December 2023. Utilizing data from the Iraq CDC/zoonotic department, 1006 cases were analyzed, and confirmed via Real-time PCR and ELISA tests at the Central Public Health Laboratory. The study highlights the climatic conditions of Iraq, with its semi-arid and semi-tropical climate influencing disease prevalence.\nResults indicate a significant gender disparity in CCHFV cases, with 59.4% male and 40.6% female patients, suggesting differing exposure and susceptibility between genders. The age distribution shows higher infection rates among individuals aged 22 to 51, potentially linked to occupational exposure and outdoor activities. A notable increase in reported cases was observed in 2022 and 2023, accounting for 38.0% and 58.6% of total cases, respectively. 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