Eremenko, E.I., Afanasyev, E.N., Solodovnikov, B.V., Vasilenko, N.F.

Diagnostics of Crimean hemorrhagic fever by the method of the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in the Stavropol Territory in 2001 — 2002

Research Institute for Plague Comtrol, Stavropol, Russia

Altogether 175 blood sera, obtained from 156 patients with diagnosed Crimean hemorrhagic fever (CHF) and from persons suspected for the disease, were studied by the method of the reverse transferase polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Out of 156 CHF patients, in 64 (41%) CHF virus RNA was detected and in 92 (59%) the results of the tests were negative. The detection rate of virus RNA was higher during the first 9 days. In the parallel study of the sera of 156 patients, made by the method of the enzyme immunoassay (EIA), in 54 patients (34.6%) specific IgG were detected and in 102 patients (65.4%) no such IgG were found. The results of the study by the methods of PCR and EIA coincided in 84.4% of positive serum samples and in 90.2% of negative serum samples. The analysis of the results obtained in the study of blood sera by the method of PCR for the detection of CHF virus RNA demonstrated the effectiveness of this test system.
Zh. Mikrobiol. (Moscow), 2005, No. 4, Supplement, P. 82—85