As far as emerging, zoonotic, viruses go—Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) is one to watch. The disease, which is endemic in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, and some Asian countries, is considered a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a life-threatening disease with up to a 40% mortality rate. Originally described in Crimea in the mid-40s, and decades later in the Congo, the virus has recently spread to Western Europe through ticks carried by migratory birds. The virus, as a biosafety level 4 pathogen, has no vaccine and no approved medical countermeasures.
