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Volume 32, Number 4—April 2026

Research

Seroprevalence of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Infection in Humans and Domestic Ruminants, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Boniface Pongombo Lombe1, Yannick Munyeku-Bazitama1, Gracia Kashitu-Mujinga, Patrick Kakoni Mukadi, Honoré Mampasi, Curé Georges Mbuyi Tshilenge, Marguerite Pemba Manwana, Noël Mwayakala, Niclette Bibi Zenga, Patient Okitale-Talunda, Elisabeth Pukuta-Simbu, Suguru Taga, Gaston Sefu Amzati, Masahiro Kajihara, Pierre Nsele Mutantu, Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, Steve Ahuka-Mundeke, Justin Masumu, Sheila Makiala-Mandanda, and Ayato TakadaComments to Author 
Author affiliation: Central Veterinary Laboratory of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (B.P. Lombe, C.G.M. Tshilenge, J. Masumu); National Pedagogical University, Kinshasa (B.P. Lombe, N. Mwayakala, G.S. Amzati, J. Masumu); University of Kikwit, Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Y. Munyeku-Bazitama); University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa (Y. Munyeku-Bazitama, G. Kashitu-Mujinga, P.K. Mukadi, C.G.M. Tshilenge, P. Okitale-Talunda, P.N. Mutantu, J.J. Muyembe-Tamfum, S. Ahuka-Mundeke, S. Makiala-Mandanda); Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa (Y. Munyeku-Bazitama, G. Kashitu-Mujinga, P.K. Mukadi, M.P. Manwana, N.B. Zenga, P. Okitale-Talunda, E. Pukuta-Simbu, P.N. Mutantu, J.J. Muyembe-Tamfum, S. Ahuka-Mundeke, J.M. Masumu, S. Makiala-Mandanda); Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan (Y. Munyeku-Bazitama, P. Okitale-Talunda, S. Taga, M. Kajihara, A. Takada); Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan (P.K. Mukadi), Compagnie des grands élevages de Katongola, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (H. Mampasi); University of Zambia School of Veterinary Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia (M. Kajihara, A. Takada)

Main Article

Table 1

Sociodemographic characteristics and seroprevalence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus infection in humans in study of seroprevalence in humans and domestic ruminants, Democratic Republic of the Congo*

Variable No. (%) participants Seropositivity
 OR (95% CI) p value aOR (95% CI) p value
No.
 % (95% CI)
All participants
 1,239
 55
 4.4 (3.4–5.7)
Sex
F 510 (41.2) 21 4.1 (2.7–6.2) Referent Referent
M
 729 (58.8)
 34
 4.7 (3.3–6.4)
 1.1 (0.7–1.9)
 0.646
 1.1 (0.6–1.9)
 0.780
Median age, y (IQR)
 16 (5–31)
Age range, y
0–9 484 (39.1) 13 2.7 (1.6–4.6) Referent Referent
10–19 222 (17.9) 10 4.5 (2.4–8.2) 1.7 (0.7–3.9) 0.211 1.8 (0.8–4.3) 0.165
20–29 214 (17.3) 16 7.5 (4.6–11.8) 2.9 (1.4–6.2) 0.005 3.1 (1.4–6.8) 0.005
30–39 127 (10.2) 4 3.1 (1.2–8.1) 1.2 (0.4–3.7) 0.778 1.2 (0.4–3.9) 0.709
40–49 88 (7.1) 5 5.7 (2.4–13.0) 2.2 (0.7–6.3) 0.148 2.2 (0.8–6.6) 0.139
>50
 104 (8.4)
 7
 6.7 (3.2–13.5)
 2.6 (1.0–6.7)
 0.046
 2.9 (1.1–7.6)
 0.027
Type of living area
Rural 842 (68.0) 41 4.9 (3.6–6.5) Referent Referent
Urban
 397 (32.0)
 14
 3.5 (2.1–5.9)
 0.7 (0.4–1.3)
 0.286
 0.8 (0.3–2.1)
 0.662
Season of collection
Dry season 333 (26.9) 18 5.4 (3.4–8.4) Referent Referent
Rainy season
 906 (73.1)
 37
 4.1 (2.9–5.6)
 0.7 (0.4–1.3)
 0.318
 0.8 (0.4–1.4)
 0.453
Climate
Tropical savanna 862 (69.6) 37 4.3 (3.1–5.9) Referent Referent
Tropical rainforest 283 (22.8) 12 4.2 (2.4–7.3) 0.9 (0.5–1.9) 0.970 0.9 (0.3–2.7) 0.848
Tropical monsoon
 94 (7.6)
 6
 6.4 (2.9–13.5)
 1.5 (0.6–3.7)
 0.357
 1.4 (0.4–5.0)
 0.613
Vegetation
Savanna woodland 596 (48.1) 23 3.9 (2.6–5.7) Referent Referent
Grassy savanna 160 (12.9) 10 6.3 (3.4–11.2) 1.6 (0.8–3.6) 0.193 5.7 (0.7–45.2) 0.101
Dense moist forest 438 (35.4) 19 4.3 (2.8–6.7) 1.1 (0.6–2.1) 0.700 1.2 (0.3–4.1) 0.765
Mountain savanna
 45 (3.6)
 3
 6.7 (2.1–18.7)
 1.8 (0.5–6.2)
 0.364
 6.2 (0.5–69.4)
 0.136
Elevation, m
<600 860 (69.4) 32 3.7 (2.6–5.2) Referent Referent
600–799 90 (7.3) 9 10.0 (5.2–18.1) 2.9 (1.3–6.2) 0.008 3.0 (1.2–7.8) 0.023
≥800
 289 (23.3)
 14
 4.8 (2.9–8.0)
 1.3 (0.7–2.5)
 0.401
 0.4 (0.0–2.8)
 0.332
Year of collection
2017 757 (61.1) 33 4.4 (3.1–6.1) Referent Referent
2018 482 (38.9) 22
 4.6) (3.0–6.8)
 1.0 (0.6–1.8) 0.864 0.9 (0.5–1.6) 0.680

*aOR, adjusted odds ratio; IQR, interquartile range; OR, odds ratio.

Main Article

1These first authors contributed equally to this article.

Page created: March 04, 2026
Page updated: March 30, 2026
Page reviewed: March 30, 2026
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