Azra Samreen, Lamia Altaf, Bushra Jamil, Tariq Moatter, Zahra Hasan.
Molecular Diagnostic Assays Detection of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus.
Infect Dis J Jan ;21(2):435-7.

Viral hemorrhagic fever caused by Congo-Crimean Haemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) and dengue virus is endemic in Pakistan. Both CCHF and dengue can occur simultaneously and this poses a problem in patient placement and management in the hospital. Rapid molecular based diagnosis of CCHF based on a reverse-transcription based polymerase chain (RT-PCR) assay is described. The study describes both a nested- conventional PCR based assay for CCHF detection which has a turn-around time of 24- 48 h and also a real-time PCR based assay which has a turn-around time of 4 h. The utility of these tests in diagnosing and managing CCHF infections is reviewed. Rapid identification of positive cases together with screening out of suspected CCHF cases which are CCHF negative have implications for management in the hospital in terms of risk of transmission, nursing, infection control and also costs of treatment.

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